Sunday, January 2, 2011

the 2011 post-holiday reading list aka books i got for christmas




1. What Would Jefferson Do? - Thom Hartmann - I'm already 1/3 done with this book and it's terribly fascinating, while at the same time terribly depressing. Even having been an AP History student in high school—books like this leave me feeling gypped. Only in my adult life have I discovered how incredibly interesting history is, especially American history. The current re-writing of my favorite founding father by the conservative right is a particular pet peeve of mine. In reading a book like this, you realize why they're rushing around trying to change how people remember the man like Jefferson.

2. FDR - Jean Edward Smith - This is the FDR biography and I've been meaning to read it forever. Now I have no excuse.

3. Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt - HW Brands - I'm very excited for this one. Another FDR tome, I'm kind of forcing myself to read FDR first and then this. I am absolutely fascinated by Roosevelt's concern for the middle and lower classes over his own—and have long been a fan of the theory that his experiences in Warm Springs with both people with disabilities and people living in poverty effected his approach to issues of class and financial equality during his presidency.

4. The Making of Fantastic Mr. Fox - Wes Anderson - Too many things I like together in book form for this to be anything but, well, fantastic.

5. Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People - Amy Sedaris - Can I be adopted into the Sedaris family, please?

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