Happy Super Tuesday! Anyone else have the feeling that the last few months of mud-slinging were relatively tame? The race is on . . .
We’ve already covered some of the bios of the Republican frontrunners, and that was when things felt almost civilized. Stave off rising blood pressure by prepping for any spur-of-the-moment political discourse. We’ve collected some of the biggest political and election books from journalists and academics that are currently making their way to bookshelves:
Pity the Billionaire: The Hard-Times Swindle and the Unlikely Comeback of the Right
by Thomas Frank | Metropolitan | January 3
Harper’s columnist Frank examines how the brink of economic collapse delivered the highly unexpected political result of breathing new life into American conservatism. He turns a critical (and often funny) eye on the Right’s reaction to the unstable economy and reveals how hard times created a party revival.
The Benefit and The Burden: Tax Reform—Why We Need It and What It Will Take
by Bruce Bartlett | Simon & Schuster | January 24
The United States Tax Code has undergone no serious reform since 1986. New York Times blogger and policy adviser Bartlett presents tax reform as a “practical crisis.” He analyzes the various tax philosophies that dominate the current political debate as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
The Emergency State: America’s Pursuit of Absolute Security at All Costs
by David C. Unger | Penguin Press | February 16
Unger, an editorial writer for the New York Times, gives a provocative, bipartisan look into America as a nation of perpetual war. He reveals the hidden costs of America’s pursuit of absolute national security, and explains how this obsession has begun to affect our political life.
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
by Jonathan Haidt | Pantheon | March 13
Social psychologist Haidt attempts to find even ground for conservatives, liberals and libertarians as he explores the origins of America’s divisions. This book is less about the political issues of the day and more about redefining perceptions of right and left, atheist and religious.
White House Burning: The Founding Fathers, Our National Debt, and Why It Matters to You
by Simon Johnson and James Kwak | Pantheon | April 3
The co-founders of The Baseline Scenario offer an insightful, demystifying look into the national debt. They chart how the U.S. economy reached this point and offer a vision for how to solve the debt crisis.
Do Not Ask What Good We Do: Inside the U.S. House of Representatives
by Robert Draper | Free Press | April 24
From the author of Dead Certain, the definitive book on the Bush Presidency, comes a much-anticipated look at the current House of Representatives.
The Obamians: The Struggle Inside the White House to Redefine American Power
by James Mann | Viking | June 14
Upon entering the White House, the Obama administration sought to forge a new global role for America in the wake of the Bush administration’s war in Iraq. Acclaimed author Mann reveals the realities and conflicts that shaped Obama’s foreign policy, including the problem of the generational gap.
And because we covered the Republican bios:
Barack Obama: The Story
by David Maraniss | Simon & Schuster | June 19
The author of the definitive bio on Bill Clinton provides a holistic, multifaceted look at America’s first black president. It is based on letters, journals and other documents as well as hundreds of interviews, including with President Obama.
Readers: Are there any political or election books you think everyone should read?
