"Fascinating...adds many interesting details to what we knowof the President’s heritage." --David Remnick, TheNewYorker.com On January 20, 2009, a few hundred men, women, and childrengathered under trees in the twilight at K’obama, a village on theshores of Lake Victoria in western Kenya. Barack Obama’s rise tothe American presidency had captivated people around the world, butmembers of this gathering took a special pride in the swearing inof America’s first black president, for they were all Obamas, allthe president’s direct African family. In the first in-depth history of the Obama family, PeterFirstbrook recounts a journey that starts in a mud hut by the WhiteNile and ends seven centuries later in the White House.Interweaving oral history and tribal lore, interviews with Obamafamily members and other Kenyans, the writings of Kenyanhistorians, and original genealogical research, Firstbrook sets thefascinating story of the president’s family against the backgroundof Kenya

They would be called upon to lead a nation in one of its darkest hous-but were they up to the task? He had been the wild, hard-drinding scion of one of America's premier political families. She was the school librarian with a warm smile and a tracks of September 11. 2001, they rose to the challenge: He became the embodiment of America's fighting spirit and she assumed the role of "Fighting spirit and she assumed the role of "First Comforter" with effortless grace. Still. the true nature fo their relationship has remained a mytery. Until now. In the style fo his#1 new Yourk Times bestseller The Day Diana Died and The Day John Died, as Well as his bestselling books about another President and First Lady, Jack and Jackie and Jackie After Jacks, Christopher Andersen draws on important sources-many speaking here for the first time-to paint a vivid, sometimes startling, often inspiring portrait of America's First Couple. Among the intriguing insights and stunning revelations: Important new information abou

“Kirstin Downey’s lively, substantive and—dare I say—inspiringnew biography of Perkins . . . not only illuminates Perkins’ careerbut also deepens the known contradictions of Roosevelt’scharacter.” —Maureen Corrigan, NPR Fresh Air One of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s closest friends and the firstfemale secretary of labor, Perkins capitalized on the president’spolitical savvy and popularity to enact most of the Depression-eraprograms that are today considered essential parts of the country’ssocial safety network. Frances Perkins is no longer a household name, yet she was one ofthe most influential women of the twentieth century. Based on eightyears of research, extensive archival materials, new documents, andexclusive access to Perkins’s family members and friends, thisbiography is the first complete portrait of a devoted publicservant with a passionate personal life, a mother who changed thelandscape of American business and society. Frances Perkins was named Secr

One of The New York Times 10 Best Books of theYear National BestsellerWith a New AfterwordNational Book CriticsCircle Award Finalist A Best Book of the Year: Salon , Slate , The Economist , The Washington Post , Cleveland Plain-Dealer The Dark Side is a dramatic,riveting, and definitive narrative account of how the United Statesmade terrible decisions in the pursuit of terrorists around theworld—decisions that not only violated the Constitution, but alsohampered the pursuit of Al Qaeda. In spellbinding detail, JaneMayer relates the impact of these decisions by which key players,namely Vice President Dick Cheney and his powerful, secretiveadviser David Addington, exploited September 11 to further a longheld agenda to enhance presidential powers to a degree never knownin U.S. history, and obliterate Constitutional protections thatdefine the very essence of the American experiment.

For the first time,here is the full and fascination life story of the mos unlikely of celebrities,the soft-spoken economist who became the much-heralded Chairman of the Federal Reserve Boars.Justin,a former Fortune magazine staff writer,recounts the series of crisee-from the Crash of '87to2001's market mayhem-faced by Greenspan during his eventful four terms running the Fed.Relying on exclusive interviews with friends and colleagues,Martin also reconstructs Greenspan's hardscrabble childhood,years spent in the inner circle of controversial author Ayn Rand,his youthful days as a jazz clarinetist,and the intellectual and philosophical transfor mation that led to his position of awesome power.

An instant classic of war reporting, The Forever War isthe definitive account of America's conflict with Islamicfundamentalism and a searing exploration of its human costs.Through the eyes of Filkins, a foreign correspondent for the NewYork Times, we witness the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, theaftermath of the attack on New York on September 11th, and theAmerican wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Filkins is the only Americanjournalist to have reported on all these events, and hisexperiences are conveyed in a riveting narrative filled withunforgettable characters and astonishing scenes.

For more than a half-century, Israel has been forced to defendits existence against international political disapproval, racistcalumny, and violence visited upon its citizens by terrorists ofmany stripes. While nations have always been made to defend theirmoral, political, economic, or social actions, Israel has theunique plight of having to defend its very right to exist. Covering Israel's struggle for existence from the Britishoccupation and the UN’s partition of Palestine, to the dashed hopesof the Oslo Accords and the second intifada, Yaacov Lozowick trainsan enlightening, forthright eye on Israel’s strengths and failures.A lifelong liberal and peace activist, he explores Israel’snational and regional political, social, and moral obligations aswell as its right to secure its borders and repel attacks bothphilosophical and military. Combining rich historical perspectiveand passionate conviction, Right to Exist sets forth theagenda of a people and a nation, and elegantly articulates Isra

The catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has broughtnew attention to the huge costs of our oil dependence. In thisstunning and revealing book, Peter Maass examines the social,political, and environmental impact of petroleum on the countriesthat produce it. Every unhappy oil-producing nation is unhappy in its own way, butall are touched by the “resource curse”—the power of oil toexacerbate existing problems and create new ones. Peter Maasspresents a vivid portrait of the troubled world oil has created.From Saudi Arabia to Equatorial Guinea, from Venezuela to Iraq, thestories of rebels, royalty, middlemen, environmentalists,indigenous activists, and CEOs—all deftly and sensitivelypresented—come together in this startling and essential account ofthe consequences of our addiction to oil.

As the world's largest democracy and a rising internationaleconomic power, India has long been heralded for its great stridesin technology and trade. Yet it is also plagued by poverty,illiteracy, unemployment, and a vast array of other social andeconomic issues. Here, noted journalist and former Financial TimesSouth Asia bureau chief Edward Luce travels throughout India's manyregions, cultures, and religious circles, investigating its fragilebalance between tradition and modernity. From meetings with keypolitical figures to fascinating encounters with religious pundits,economic gurus, and village laborers, In Spite of the Gods is afascinating blend of analysis and reportage that comprehensivelydepicts the nuances of India's complex situation and its place inthe world.

Widely considered in his own time as a genial but provinciallightweight who was out of place in the presidency, Abraham Lincolnastonished his allies and confounded his adversaries by producing aseries of speeches and public letters so provocative that theyhelped revolutionize public opinion on such critical issues ascivil liberties, the use of black soldiers, and the emancipation ofslaves. This is a brilliant and unprecedented examination of howLincoln used the power of words to not only build his politicalcareer but to keep the country united during the Civil War.

To this landmark biography of our first president, Joseph J.Ellis brings the exacting scholarship, shrewd analysis, and lyricprose that have made him one of the premier historians of theRevolutionary era. Training his lens on a figure who sometimesseems as remote as his effigy on Mount Rushmore, Ellis assessesGeorge Washington as a military and political leader and a manwhose “statue-like solidity” concealed volcanic energies andemotions. Here is the impetuous young officer whose miraculous survival incombat half-convinced him that he could not be killed. Here is thefree-spending landowner whose debts to English merchants instilledhim with a prickly resentment of imperial power. We see the generalwho lost more battles than he won and the reluctant president whotried to float above the partisan feuding of his cabinet. HisExcellency is a magnificent work, indispensable to anunderstanding not only of its subject but also of the nation hebrought into being.

A brilliant account of religion's role in the politicalthinking of the West, from the Enlightenment to the close of WorldWar II. The wish to bring political life under God's authority is nothingnew, and it's clear that today religious passions are again drivingworld politics, confounding expectations of a secular future. Inthis major book, Mark Lilla reveals the sources of this age-oldquest-and its surprising role in shaping Western thought. Making uslook deeper into our beliefs about religion, politics, and the fateof civilizations, Lilla reminds us of the modern West's uniquetrajectory and how to remain on it. Illuminating and challenging, The Stillborn God is a watershed in the history ofideas.

Drawing upon dozens of other "declarations of independence"written to protest the repression of the colonies by King GeorgeIII, as well as carefully analyzing the drafts of the Declarationsigned on July 4, 1776, Maier reveals the extent to whichJefferson's words and ideas were indebted to popular politicalbeliefs.

(Presidio Books) A pocket-sized guide to being a good leader,for non-commissioned officers (NCOs). Discusses US Army values in'user-friendly' terms, from the perspective of a former member ofthe NCO core. Introduces three different types of leadership stylesfor 3-meter, 50-meter, and 100-meter soldiers. Softcover. DLC:United States Army--Non commissioned officers' handbooks.

Kati Marton’s bestselling Hidden Power is an engrossing lookat twelve presidential marriages–from Edith and Woodrow Wilson toLaura and George W. Bush–that have profoundly affected America’shistory. Marton uncovers the behind-the-scenes dynamics of the ultimatepower couples, showing how first ladies have used their privilegedaccess to the president to influence staffing, promote causes, andengage directly in policy-making. Edith Wilson secretly ran thecountry after Woodrow’s debilitating stroke. Eleanor Roosevelt wasFDR’s moral compass. And Laura Bush, initially shy of any publicrole, has proven to be the emotional ballast for her husband.Through extensive research and interviews, Marton reveals thesubstantial–yet often overlooked–legacy of presidential wives,providing insight into the evolution of women’s roles in thetwentieth century and vividly depicting the synergy of these uniquepolitical partnerships.

《政党学研究丛书：政党和政党制度比较研究》讲述了政党是近代政治的产物。人类社会进入近代以后，政党政治便逐渐成为近代政治体系的主流。政党是作为封建专制君主的对立物，伴随着民主的潮流而出现的。从政治体系而言，政党的出现是由于民主政治发展的需要。现代政治与传统政治的一个重要区别在于政党的出现和政党政治的发展，如果马基雅弗里时代政治舞台的主角是君主，那么当今世界各国政治舞台的主角是政党。从18世纪政党在英国议会出现以来，世界上许多国家的发展都是在各种各样的政党直接或间接指导下展开的。在人类社会跨入21世纪的当今世界，政党的存在几乎是各国普遍的政治现象，据目前全世界二百多个国家和地区的统计，除二十多个国家和地区是严格的君主制或政教合一无政党外，绝大多数国家都存在着政党，实行政党政治。政党的

This book by controversial ethicist Singer (a founder of the animal rights movement) is both broader and narrower than it purports to be. It offers a look at almost every significant policy the administration has taken a position on yet offers little in the way of new philosophic inquiry. Singer pits Bush's rhetoric and pre*ions against his actions, going from the topical (terror detainees, the war in Iraq) to the abstract (utilitarian theories of government). Singer's arguments are often reasonable and well documented: he asks whether an administration that emphasizes smaller government should be intervening in state right-to-die cases and whether someone so vocal about the value of individual merit should be rewarding birthright by eliminating the estate tax. But anyone who has followed recent critiques of the administration would learn nothing new from these familiar arguments and conclusions, such as that the justification for the Iraq war might have been problematic. Singer's logic can also be mushy.