US politics: additions to departmental stock

One of the highlights of a visit to the US is the opportunity to plunder the bookshops and to add to the departmental stock of politics books. Our most recent school trip to DC/NYC was no different and I spent a good couple of hours browsing the shelves of Borders on Park Avenue in New York’s midtown. This is what I came away with

“The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution” by Linda R. Monk (Hyperion, 2003). This book interweaves the content of the US Constitution with explanation and important Supreme Court cases in an easy read. Useful for background detail on the latter and I’ll use it to update my notes before teaching the topic.

“The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation” by Jonathan Hennessy and Aaron McConnell (Hill and Wang, 2008). Not sure if this comic style guide to the Constitution would tell teachers anything new, but students new to the subject may want to borrow it. It’s certainly the most entertaining read on the subject I have found.

“The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution” by Kevin R C Gutzman (Regnery, 2007). Gutzman presents a case for a return to limited government, arguing that the Supreme Court have over extended their remit and have acted in a way that has nothing to do with the Constitution. Full of facts I never knew, such as the numbers relating to the Bakke case.

“What’s So Good About America” by Dinesh D’Souza (Penguin, 2002). This is the first of several books on the list that I promised myself I would order on Amazon but never got round to it. After reading a few pages it went straight into my basket. The highlight here is an excellent chapter on Affirmative Action.

“Losing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America” by John McWhorter (Harper, 2000). McWhorter, an Associate Professor at Berkeley, lays out the case for saying that the most lasting legacy of racism is the culture of victimology amongst blacks.

“Being a Black Man: At the Corner of Progress and Peril” by the Washington Post staff (Public Affairs, 2007) is a blend of comment and personal testimony and offers a fascinating insight into the different stories about what it means to be a young black man in America.

“Nigger: the Strange Career of a Troublesome Word” by Randall Kennedy (Vintage, 2002) provoked a storm of controversy when it first came out – for obvious reasons.

“The Bush Tragedy” by Jacob Weisberg (Random House, 2008). It is probably too soon to write the definitive history of W’s time in office, but this is an entertaining attempt.

“The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court” by Jeffrey Toobin (Anchor, 2008) is fascinating insight into the inner workings of the world’s most powerful judiciary. Great background on the jurisprudence relating to some of the most significant cases in the court’s recent history.