Extraordinary, Ordinary People

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's memoir of her family, career and growing up in segregated Birmingham, Alabama.

Extraordinary, Ordinary People
by Condoleezza Rice
Find it in the library at call number E840.8 .R48A3 2010

The Wind Doesn't Need a Passport

A collection of stories about the people, places and challenges of the border region between the United States and Mexico.

The Wind Doesn't Need a Passport: Stories fromt he U.S.-Mexico Borderlands
by Tyche Hendricks
Find it in the library at call number HN79 .A165H46 2010

The New Republic

Focusing on politics, the arts and economics from a center-left perspective, TNR publishes substantive articles without the eye candy layout of Time and Newsweek. 

The New Republic
The current issue of The New Republic is available in the library's reading area. Back issues of all our magazines are located along the back wall of the library and can be checked out for one week at a time. Electronic access to TNR is available through our Full-text and Print Magazines link, also available on our homepage.

Election 2010

Election Day (Nov. 2) is less than a week away and absentee voting is already underway. Here are some resources for information on the numerous races and propositions on our ballots.

Build Your Ballot Summaries and analysis of State-wide races and propositions from the Los Angeles Times.

Capital Public Radio has aired a series of reports exploring the different State-wide propositions 
League of Women Voters of California offers non-partisan analysis of the State-wide propositions

The California Channel provides interviews of the candidates for the California Supreme Court.

Finally, Follow The Money provides local campaign finance information

The Taliban and the Crisis of Afghanistan

A collection of essays exploring the complex cultural, political and religious forces behind the Taliban's emergence and persistence.

The Taliban and the Crisis of Afghanistan
edited by Robert D. Crews and Amin Tarzi
Find it in the Library at call number DS371.3 .T354 2009

The Land of Green Plums

Nobel Laureate Hurta Muller's novel about life in Ceausescu's Romania known for its striking portrayal of the terror/ennui paradox.

The Land of Green Plums
by Hurta Muller
Find it in the Library at call number PT2673 .U29234 H4713 1998

Human Cargo

A critically acclaimed look at refugees and the reasons why people are forced to leave their communities often to face dismal living conditions.

Human Cargo: A Journey Among Refugees
by Caroline Moorehead
Find it in the Library at call number HV640 .M66 2006

Tears of the Desert

A memoir from a Sudanese woman who lived through years of war and devastation in Darfur.

Tears of the Desert
by Halima Bashir and Damien Lewis
Find it in the Library at call number DT159.6 .D27B37 2008

Satire TV

A collection of essays exploring the role satire plays in modern political discourse.

Satire TV
edited by Jonathan Gray, Jeffrey P. Jones and Ethan Thompson
Find it in the Library at call number HE8700.76 .U6S37 2009

Travel as a Political Act

Travel guru Rick Steves takes us all over the globe as he explores the virtues of traveling to effect and support positive political change.

Travel as a Political Act
by Rick Steves
Find it at call number G155 .A1S6675 2009

The Wisdom of Whores

An epidemiologist specializing in HIV prevention explores the trials and tribulations of international disease prevention.

The Wisdom of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels and the Business of AIDS
by Elizabeth Pisani
Find it in the Library at call number RA643.8 .P57 2009

Ex Mex

Before Swine Flu and a deadly drug war, the biggest story out of Mexico was its immigrants to the United States. This thoughtful book by a former Mexican foreign minister explores the people and reasoning beyond the current wave of immigration.

Ex Mex
by Jorge Castañeda
Find it in the Library at call number E184 .M5C368 2007

Special Election

Californians go to the polls again on May 19th to vote on six propositions aimed at helping to resolve the State's budget crisis. Here are two sources to help you make an informed decision when you vote.

First, KQED's California Report (heard on NPR) is broadcasting special coverage of each proposition on the ballot. Second, The League of Women Voters of California has put together its traditional nonpartisan guide to each measure.

These resources are freely available on the Internet.

¡Hugo!

A detailed biography of Hugo Chavez, perhaps the United States' most vocal and bombastic critic.

¡Hugo!
by Bart Jones
Find it in the Library at call number F2329.22 .C54J66 2007

Darwin and Lincoln

February 12th marks the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's and Abraham Lincoln's birthdays. We have oodles of materials on both, but here are two of my favorites:

Evolution vs. Intelligent Design is a DVD of the fascinating Civic Engagement Project sponsored debate between renowned evolutionist Ken Miller and Berkeley law professor Phillip Johnson.

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin is an insightful look at how our first Republican president won his party's nomination and then included his rivals in his landmark cabinet.

Evolution vs. Intelligent Design
hosted by the Civic Engagement Project
Find this DVD in the Library's Archives at call number QH367 .E96 2006

Team of Rivals
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Find this book in the Library at call number E457.45 .G66 2005

Obama's Challenge

Progressive economist Robert Kuttner’s open letter to the new President that lays out how Obama can follow in the footsteps of our great transformative presidents.

Both of Obama’s popular books – Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope – are also available in the Library.

Obama's Challenge
by Robert Kuttner
Find it in the Library at call number E901.1 .O23 K87 2008

John Adams

A miniseries based on David McCullough’s biography of our second president that set a record with 13 Emmy awards in September. Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney make this one worth checking out even if you’re not a history buff.

John Adams
directed by Tom Hooper
Find it in our Video Collection at call number: PN1995.9 .D7 J63 2008

Newspaper Headlines

Geoff Menegay has put together an impressive collection of newspaper headlines from around the world depicting Barack Obama's victory.

http://obama2008.s3.amazonaws.com/headlines.html
Compiled by Geoff Menegay
Available for free on the Internet

Election Education II

California's 12 propositions involve wide-ranging issues, from high speed trains and farm animals to abortion and gay marriage. Want to learn more?

Check out Capital Public Radio's special reports on each proposition (see list, below). Other useful resources include The League of Women Voters non-partisan Easy Voters Guide and the California Secretary of State's Quick Reference Guide, which includes pro and con arguments for each initiative. Ballotpedia.org is a wiki (meaning anyone can add and edit content) focusing on ballot initiatives, including California's 2008 propositions.

Capital Public Radio's Special Reports on the 12 California Propositions:

Prop. 1A: High Speed Rail

Prop. 2: Treatment of Farm Animals

Prop. 3: Children's Hospital Bonds

Prop. 4: Parental Notification for Teenage Abortion

Prop. 5: Nonviolent Drug Offenses (Note: this report also discusses Prop 6.)

Prop. 6: Police and Law Enforcement Funding (Note: this report also discusses Prop 5.)

Prop 7: Renewable Energy Generation (Note: this report also discusses Prop 10.)

Prop 8: Same Sex Marriage

Prop 9: Victims' Rights

Prop. 10: Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable Energy (Note: this report also discusses Prop. 7.)

Prop 11: Redistricting

Prop 12: Veterans' Bond Act of 2008

The Atlantic

One of the longest running magazines in America, The Atlantic is an in depth news source specializing in editorials on politics, current events and cultural issues.

The Atlantic
The current print issue of The Atlantic is available in the Reading Area of the Library. Back issues are available for checkout and are located in alphabetical order along the back wall of the Library. Free electronic access to The Atlantic (sometimes referred to as The Atlantic Monthly) back to 1857 is available via the Full-text and Print Magazines link on our homepage. Note: Off campus users may be asked to login.