America - Citizen Guide to Democracy Inaction

A very clever book written by Jon Stewart and his friends of the Daily Show. This book is written using a high school history book layout and design which serves as a bitter irony to how biased history textbooks are. I am not sure everyone will get the educational humor regarding the context of how the book is setup. The book satirizes every aspect of a modern day history book. Not many people who have been out of school for awhile may get the layout of the book unless they have a student in high school.
The book is not for younger siblings, so make sure you keep the book secure in your house. I would recommend the book for those who like the Daily Show, irreverent humor, and political satire. A must read for teachers(past, present, and future), current students in high school and college, and parents.

The Monsters are Due on Maple Street

I could not help myself and recommend my all time favorite story by Rod Serling. In our Post 9/11 society, Serling's story provides a valuable warning of the tools of conquest. I wish classrooms across the country would rediscover the works of Rod Serling. I will end with a quote from the story that has resonated with my for 25 years now.

The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts... attitudes... prejudices. To be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill, and suspicion can destroy, and the thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all its own for the children, and the children yet unborn. And the pity of it is that these things cannot be confined to The Twilight Zone.

The Tunnels of Cu Chi

This is a book I read years ago that strikes me as a timeless lesson of the resilience of people who are oppressed by imperialist aggression. A few years ago, President Bush told the American People, "Mission Accomplished." What the tunnels of Cu Chi can teach us about war is that "Mission Accomplished." is never that easy.
When we think about the campaign of suicide bombings in Iraq and Afghanistan, this is a reminder of the tunnels of Cu Chi. While our brave military men and women fight the war, they again have been placed in a hostile environment in which the enemy believes in fighting an invading country with primitive strategies that are meant to outlast an superior opponent.
I invite you to read the Tunnels of Cu Chi and learn from our history in Vietnam to broaden our understanding of modern warfare.

Howard Zinn - People's History of the United States

Quite simply, the Historians textbook. Howard Zinn's historical account of US History through the lens of events that are excluded from history textbooks. Every classroom at the secondary level should have a copy of this book to compare and contrast how history is taught. Zinn's book is proof the NCLB's compartmentalizing of curriculum is dangerous. When government controls what is taught, many cultures will be excluded from history.

Jonathon Kozol - Lessons of Inequality

Jonathon Kozol has challenged legislators for an entire generation to examine the reality of social inequalities. His focus on education highlights what I have seen for twenty years. Schools within the boundaries of wealth have a much better advantage over their inner city counterparts. While we teach students about Brown v. the Board of Education, we never challenge students to see what is the reality of Brown v. the Board of Education. We create an illusion that equality is here today, when in actuality it is far from being real for many citizens of our country

You are Being Lied To

One of the best books that I have read regarding media manipulation and distorted realities. The follow up book deepens the examination into common realities that simply are not true.

Armed and Dangerous

Armed and Dangerous challenges many realities that we believe to be true. Whether the war on terror, election fraud, or media maniplulation, the author brings to light many ideas, thoughts and actions that many in the America deny to be truth.