Some books that were left over from the auction at the Long Haul awards dinner will be sold in an online auction. A link for that auction will be posted here shortly. The books are described below (check back here in a little while for more complete descriptions). Each book is listed as either HB (hardback) or PB (paperback). All books are unused. They are shown with both the retail price (which was paid by the people who donated the books) and the reserve or initial bid, i.e., the price at which the bidding will start.
This Far by Faith: Stories from the African American Religious Experience by Juan Williams and Quinton Dixie - HB retail: $30, reserve bid: $9. From Publishers Weekly: Williams, who wrote the companion volume to the award-winning PBS documentary Eyes on the Prize, and Dixie, an Indiana University professor, offer a well-illustrated companion volume to the upcoming PBS series "This Far by Faith." They follow the traditional contours of other studies of African-American religious history, beginning with slavery and following the tale through the emergence of free black churches; the nadir of the late 19th century; the Great Migration; the rise of black nationalism and urban religious traditions in the early 20th century; the civil rights movement; and the embrace of alternative religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and the Five Percenters in the 1970s through the 1990s.
Fortress America: The American Military and the Consequences of Peace by William Greider - HB retail: $22, reserve bid: $8. From Amazon.com review: "The U.S. military-industrial complex, as we have known it, is in the process of devouring itself, literally and tangibly. The awesome interlocking structure of armed forces, industrial interests, and political alliances that has sprawled across American public life and purpose for two generations cannot endure for long," writes Rolling Stone correspondent William Greider in the introduction to Fortress America. Although shorter than his previous books on the Federal Reserve and the global economy, Fortress America is vintage Greider: strong reporting and sharp analysis on a topic of current and compelling interest. Greider doesn't address U.S. defense strategy so much as the perverse economics underlying the American military establishment.
Off with Their Heads: Traitors, Crooks, and Obstructionists in American Politics, Media, and Business by Dick Morris - HB retail: $25, reserve bid: $8. From Amazon.com review: Dick Morris is on a tirade in Off With Their Heads--and that’s good news. For as an experienced political consultant who has worked with both Democrats and Republicans at the highest levels of government, he knows what he’s talking about. As a result, there is much to learn from this detailed book, regardless of whether one may agree with his conclusions. Morris begins by railing against the established news media for showing blatant liberal bias and for irresponsibly undermining the war on terror as the Bush administration is waging it. With good reason, as he illustrates in many examples, he advises citizens to rely on a wider variety of sources for information and to approach the media in general with far more skepticism. (Presumably this includes his current employer, the Fox News Channel.)
No Horizon Is So Far: Two Women and Their Historic Journey Across Antarctica by Liv Arnesen, Ann Bancroft, and Cheryl Dahle - HB retail: $26, reserve bid: $8. From Publishers Weekly: In February 2001, Bancroft and Arnesen, "total stranger[s]," became the first women to cross Antarctica on foot. ... They walked, skied and ice-sailed through bitter cold (temperatures sank as low as -35 degrees Farenheit) while hauling 250-pound fiberglass sledges filled with food, medications and electronic equipment, including handheld GPS units and a laptop. Along the way, they did regularly scheduled satellite phone interviews with CNN. Their high-tech trek turned into a physical and emotional ordeal as they survived injuries, blizzards, accidents and anxious moments, crossing crevasses to emerge triumphant three months later.
Faith in Time: The Life of Jimmy Scott by David Ritz - HB retail: ??, reserve bid: $8. From Publishers Weekly: Ritz, who has helped Ray Charles and Laila Ali write their autobiographies, now turns his attentive eye to the life of singer "Little" Jimmy Scott. Born in Cleveland in 1925, Scott grew up in a town bursting with clubs and theaters that showcased the touring jazz greats, from big band to the then-nascent bebop. While still a teenager, Scott finagled his way from a job as an usher at a Cleveland theater into singing a few numbers after Lester Young had performed. The audience was transfixed by his unearthly voice and clamored to know if he was a man or woman. ...
Earl Mindell'S Peak Performance Bible: How To Look Great Feel Great And Perform Better In The Gym At Work And In Bed by Earl Mindell - PB retail: $13, reserve bid: $5. Earl Mindell, R.PH., PH.D., is the bestselling author of Earl Mindell's New Herb Bible as well as Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible, Earl Mindell's Secret Remedies, Earl Mindell's Anti-Aging Bible, Earl Mindell's Soy Miracle, Earl Mindell's Food as Medicine, and Earl Mindell's Vitamin Bible. He is a registered pharmacist and professor of nutrition at Pacific Western University in Los Angeles. He lives in Beverly Hills, California.
Our Final Hour: A Scientist's Warning by Martin Rees - HB retail: $25, reserve bid: $8. From Amazon.com review: Just when you've stopped worrying and learned to love the bomb, along comes Sir Martin Rees, Britain's Astronomer Royal, with teeming armies of deadly viruses, nanobots, and armed fanatics. Beyond the hazards most of us know about--smallpox, terrorists, global warming--Rees introduces the new threats of the 21st century and the unholy political and scientific alliances that have made them possible. Our Final Hour spells out doomsday scenarios for cosmic collisions, high-energy experiments gone wrong, and self-replicating machines that steadily devour the biosphere. If we can avoid driving ourselves to extinction, he writes, a glorious future awaits; if not, our devices may very well destroy the universe.
Elephant Destiny: A Biography of An Endangered Species in Africa by Martin Meredith - HB retail: $25, reserve bid: $8. From Publishers Weekly: In this solid introduction to the world of elephants, Meredith covers all the major topics including biology, social behavior, recent scientific discoveries, ancient elephantology, the devastating ivory trade, the truth about elephant graveyards and the insistent threat of extinction. ... Much of the book follows the history of the European exploitation of Africa's three treasures: gold, slaves and ivory. ... Once Meredith's history reaches modern times, the shock of population counts is astounding in comparison with the numbers of elephants that roamed free in the past. ... only recently has science uncovered the answers to mysteries such as how separate herds coordinate movement over many miles. ...
What Liberal Media?: The Truth About Bias and the News by Eric Alterman - HB retail: $25, reserve bid: $8. From Amazon.com review: The incredulity begins with the title What Liberal Media?, journalist Eric Alterman's refutation of widely flung charges of left-wing bias, and never lets up. The book is unlikely to make many friends among conservative media talking heads. Alterman picks apart charges made by Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, George Will, Sean Hannity, and others (even the subtitle refers to a popular book by former CBS producer Bernard Goldberg that argues a lefty slant in news coverage). But the perspectives of less-incendiary figures, including David Broder and Howard Kurtz, are also dissected in Alterman's quest to prove that not only do the media lack a liberal slant but that quite the opposite is true. Much of Alterman's argument comes down to this: the conservatives in the newspapers, television, talk radio, and the Republican party are lying about liberal bias and repeating the same lies long enough that they've taken on a patina of truth. Further, the perception of such a bias has cowed many media outlets into presenting more conservative opinions to counterbalance a bias, which does not, in fact, exist, says Alterman. In methodically shooting down conservative charges, Alterman employs extensive endnotes, all of which are referenced with superscript numbers throughout the body of the book.
Letters to a Young Activist by Todd Gitlin - HB (we have two copies) retail: $22.50, reserve bid: $8. From Booklist: Gitlin, Columbia University journalism professor and former president of the 1960s activist group Students for a Democratic Society, offers encouragement and cautionary notes to current-day activists. Written in the form of a personal letter to today's idealists, Gitlin's book concedes a focus on liberal causes, noting that the conservative impulse is to avoid change even when it is for the good: "no noise, no improvement." Looking back on his own experiences, Gitlin ponders those principles that have guided his own political actions and acknowledges the ponderous shadow that 1960s activism casts over the current generation. He encourages steadfastness, historical perspective, idealism tinged with realism, and faith. In separate chapters, all interspersed with recollections from the 1960s protest movements, Gitlin focuses on the character and discipline needed to sustain social movements, the need for compromise and tempering anger, and how to maintain patriotism and democratic ideals and continue to agitate for social justice.
Lessons For Dylan: On Life, Love, the Movies, and Me by Joel Siegel - HB retail: $25, reserve bid $8. From Publishers Weekly: Good Morning America's entertainment critic Siegel, who at age 54 was diagnosed with cancer shortly after the birth of his first child, has turned his potential tragedy into a warmhearted memoir written as letters to his son, Dylan. Siegel covers a wide range of topics and tells many fascinating stories, ranging from details of "three cancer surgeries and chemo and CAT scans and six months of radiation in the past five years," to personal descriptions of movies that he hopes to watch with his son one day. He offers anecdotes from his various jobs writing in advertising, for radio and as a joke writer for Bobby Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign. ... Most touching are Siegel's various pieces of fatherly advice, from how to recognize one's life work ("follow your passion") to how to deal with bullies ("If you fight back and get hit, it hurts a little while; if you don't fight back it hurts forever"). ...
Spin This! All the Ways We Don't Tell the Truth by Bill Press - PB retail: $13, reserve bid: $5. From Booklist: Press, a Crossfire cohost, provides an amusing look at "spin," the basic commodity of professions from politics to journalism to marketing. After offering a loose definition of spin that distinguishes it from outright lying, Press expounds on the infinite varieties. ... Press cites plenty of examples, including the it-depends-on-the-definition spin offered by President Clinton's evasive definition of sex when the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke. Historical examples include the claim that the Civil War was fought to end slavery and talk of "collateral damage" during the Vietnam War to avoid talk of casualties. Press includes nominations to the spin hall of fame offered by well-known writers and political figures. All readers will enjoy this look at a widespread practice.
Cock-a-doodle-doo by Philip Weiss - PB retail: $13, reserve bid: $5. From the Barnes and Noble description: In Cock-a-doodle-doo, Philip Weiss has written a scintillating debut novel of politics and love, told with Rabelaisian brio and inspired good sense. It is the story of Jack Gold, the irrepressible, intelligent yet weirdly unknowing narrator, a thirtyish lawyer for left-wing causes, for whom - as the novel opens - idealism has become a joyless chore. There's not much light or hope - not in politics, not for his career. Then, in the heat of August, toward the end of a Democratic National Convention, Jack encounters Burry Quinlan - vibrant, full-throated, out of control; she's the daughter of a conservative former Secretary of State who's running for the governorship of New York State. ...
