Politics Audiobooks | LoveReading

Bayard Rustin: A Legacy of Protest and Politics

While we can all recall images of Martin Luther King Jr. giving his 'I Have a Dream' speech in front of a massive crowd at Lincoln Memorial, few of us remember the man who organized this watershed nonviolent protest in eight short weeks: Bayard Rustin. This was far from Rustin's first foray into the fight for civil rights. As a world-traveling pacifist, he brought Gandhi's protest techniques to the forefront of US civil rights demonstrations, helped build the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, led the fight for economic justice, and played a deeply influential role in the life of Dr. King by helping to mold him into an international symbol of nonviolent resistance. Rustin's legacy touches many areas of contemporary life-from civil resistance to violent uprisings, democracy to socialism, and criminal justice reform to war resistance. Despite these achievements, Rustin was often relegated to the background. He was silenced, threatened, arrested, beaten, imprisoned, and fired from important leadership positions, largely because he was an openly gay man in a fiercely homophobic era. This volume draws a full picture of Bayard Rustin: a gay, pacifist, socialist political radical who changed the course of US history and set a precedent for future civil rights activism, from LGBTQ+ Pride to Black Lives Matter.

Michael G. Long (Author), William Andrew Quinn (Narrator)

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Pillars for Freedom

The maintenance of liberty rests upon our faith, our Founding, our families, and our commitments to uncorrupted education and science. Pillars for Freedom describes in consummate detail the powers that America must reconstitute and wield in order that we reclaim our destiny. Our Judeo-Christian heritage must form the center of America's rebirth. Through marshaling our priceless heritage, we can rebuild our military, secure economic strength, and reassert energy dominance, as we rebuild our civil society. We must renew the American dream and arise as one people. This momentous book marks a turning point. It is a lantern that will lead us forward.

Richard B. Levine (Author), John Mclain (Narrator)

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The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives

Acclaimed Reuters reporter Ernest Scheyder reveals the trillion-dollar battle for the resources to power our future. Tough choices loom if the world wants to go green. The United States and other countries must decide where and how to procure the materials that make our renewable energy economy possible. To build electric vehicles, solar panels, cell phones, and millions of other devices means the world must dig more mines to extract lithium, copper, cobalt, rare earths, and nickel. But mines are deeply unpopular, even as they have a role to play in fighting climate change. These tensions have sparked a worldwide reckoning over the sourcing of these critical minerals, and no one understands the complexities of these issues better than Ernest Scheyder, whose exclusive access has allowed him to report from the front lines on the key players in this global battle to power our future. This is not a story of tree-hugging activists, but rather of industry titans, scientists, and policymakers jostling over how best to save the planet. Scheyder explores how a proposed lithium mine in Nevada would help global automakers slash their dependance on fossil fuels, but developing that mine could cause the extinction of a flower found nowhere else on the planet. A hedge fund manager's attempt to resuscitate rare earths mining in California relies on Chinese expertise, exposing the paradox in Washington's quest for minerals independence. The fight to end child labor in Africa's mining sector is a key reason, supporters contend, to dig out a vast reserve of cobalt and nickel under Minnesota's vulnerable wetlands. An international mining conglomerate's plan to extract copper for electric vehicles deep beneath Arizona's desert would destroy a Native American holy site, fueling tough questions about what matters more. In The War Below, Scheyder crafts a business story that matters to everyone. If China continues to dominate production of these critical minerals, it will have a profound impact on the geopolitical order. Beyond China, countries such as Bolivia, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo aim to wield their vast reserves of key minerals. There are no easy answers when it comes to energy. Scheyder paints a powerfully honest and nuanced picture of what is needed to fight climate change and secure energy independence, revealing how America and the rest of the world's hunt for the "new oil" directly affects us all.

Ernest Scheyder (Author), Matt Godfrey (Narrator)

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The Cancer Factory: Industrial Chemicals, Corporate Deception, and the Hidden Deaths of American Wor

The story of a group of Goodyear Tire and Rubber workers fatally exposed to toxic chemicals, the lawyer who sought justice on their behalf, and the shameful lack of protection our society affords all workers A gripping narrative in the tradition of A Civil Action and Toms River Working at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company chemical plant in Niagara Falls, New York, was considered a good job. It was the kind of industrial manufacturing job that allowed blue-collar workers to thrive in the latter half of the 20th century--that allowed them to buy their own home, and maybe a boat for the lake. But it was also the kind of job that gave you bladder cancer. The Cancer Factory tells the story of the workers who experienced one of the nation's worst, and best-documented, outbreaks of work-related cancer, and the lawyer who has represented the bladder-cancer victims at the plant for more than thirty years, as well as the retired workers who have been diagnosed with the disease and live in constant fear of its recurrence. In doing so it tells a story of corporate malfeasance and governmental neglect. Workers have only weak protections from exposure to toxic substances in America, and regulatory breaches contribute to an estimated 95,000 deaths from occupational illness each year. Goodyear, and its chemical supplier, Dupont, knew that two of the chemicals used in the plant had been shown to cause cancer, but made little effort to protect the plant's workers until the cluster of bladder cancer cases--and deaths--was undeniable. Based on four decades of reporting and delving deeply into the scientific literature about toxic substances and health risks, the arcana of worker regulations, and reality of loose enforcement, The Cancer Factory exposes the sometimes deadly risks too many workers face.

Jim Morris (Author), Jeff Zinn, TBD (Narrator)

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Of Greed and Glory: In Pursuit of Freedom for All

A ground-breaking, personal exploration of America’s obsession with continuing human bondage from the editor of the New York Times–bestselling Barracoon. Freedom and equality are the watchwords of American democracy. But like justice, freedom and equality are meaningless when there is no corresponding practical application of the ideals they represent. Physical, bodily liberty is fundamental to every American’s personal sovereignty. And yet, millions of Americans—including author Deborah Plant’s brother, whose life sentence at Angola Prison reveals a shocking current parallel to her academic work on the history of slavery in America—are deprived of these basic freedoms every day. In her studies of Zora Neale Hurston, Deborah Plant became fascinated by Hurston’s explanation for the atrocities of the international slave trade. In her memoir, Dust Tracks on a Road, Hurston wrote: “But the inescapable fact that stuck in my craw, was: my people had sold me and the white people had bought me. . . . It impressed upon me the universal nature of greed and glory.” We look the other way when the basic human rights of marginalized and stigmatized groups are violated and desecrated, not realizing that only the practice of justice everywhere secures justice, for any of us, anywhere. An active vigilance is required of those who would be and remain free; with Of Greed and Glory, Deborah Plant reveals the many ways in which slavery continues in America today and charts our collective course toward personal sovereignty for all. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Deborah G. Plant (Author), Desmond Manny, Emana Rachelle (Narrator)

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Our Enemies will Vanish

Brought to you by Penguin. A revelatory eyewitness account of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and heroism of the Ukrainian resistance by Pulitzer Prize finalist Yaroslav Trofimov, the chief foreign-affairs correspondent for The Wall Street Journal. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Yaroslav Trofimov has spent months on end at the heart of the conflict, very often on its front lines. In this authoritative account, he traces the war’s decisive moments—from the battle for Kyiv to more recently the gruelling and bloody arm wrestle involving the Wagner group over Bakhmut—to show how Ukraine and its allies have turned the tide against Russia in a modern-day battle of David and Goliath. Putin had intended to conquer Ukraine with a vicious blitzkrieg, in a few short weeks. But in the face of this existential threat, the Ukrainian people fought back, turning what looked like certain defeat into a great moral victory, even as the territorial battle continues to seesaw to this day. This is the story of their epic bravery in the face of almost unthinkable aggression. For Trofimov, this war is deeply personal. He grew up in Kyiv and his family has lived there for generations. He tells the story of how everyday Ukrainian citizens—doctors, computer programmers, businesspeople, and schoolteachers—risked their lives and lost loved ones. At once heart-breaking and inspiring, and combining vivid reportage with expert military analysis and rare insight into the thinking of Ukrainian leadership, Our Enemies Will Vanish tells the riveting story Ukraine’s fight for survival and refusal to surrender as it has never been told before. ©2024 Yaroslav Trofimov (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Yaroslav Trofimov (Author), David Hurr, TBD (Narrator)

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American Patriots: A Short History of Dissent

The history of America is a history of dissent. Protests against the British Parliament's taxation policies led to the American Revolution and the creation of the United States. In the twenty-first century, hundreds of thousands protested the war in Iraq, joined the 2011 Occupy movement, the 2017 Women's March, and the 2020 Black Lives Matter uprisings. There have been dissenting Americans for as long as there has been an America. In American Patriots, historian Ralph Young chronicles the key role dissent has played in shaping the United States. Some of these protesters are celebrated heroes of American history, while others are ordinary people, frequently overlooked, whose stories show that change is often accomplished through grassroots activism. Yet not all dissent is equal. In 2021, thousands of rioters stormed the US Capitol, and Americans on both sides of the aisle watched the destruction with horror. American Patriots contrasts this attack with the history of American protest, and challenges us to explore our definition of dissent. What are the limits of dissent? American Patriots is a necessary defense of our right to demand better for ourselves, our communities, and our nation.

Ralph Young (Author), Tom Perkins (Narrator)

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The Problem of Immigration in a Slaveholding Republic: Policing Mobility in the Nineteenth-Century U

Today the United States considers immigration a federal matter. Yet, despite America's reputation as a 'nation of immigrants,' the Constitution is silent on the admission, exclusion, and expulsion of foreigners. Before the Civil War, the federal government played virtually no role in regulating immigration. Offering an original interpretation of nineteenth-century America, The Problem of Immigration in a Slaveholding Republic argues that the existence, abolition, and legacies of slavery were central to the emergence of a national immigration policy. In the century after the American Revolution, states controlled mobility within and across their borders. Throughout the antebellum era, defenders of slavery feared that, if Congress gained control over immigration, it could also regulate the movement of free black people and the interstate slave trade. The Civil War and the abolition of slavery removed the political and constitutional obstacles to a national immigration policy. Admission remained the norm for Europeans, but Chinese laborers were excluded through techniques of registration, punishment, and deportation first used against free black people in the antebellum South. To justify these measures, the Supreme Court ruled that immigration authority was inherent in national sovereignty and required no constitutional justification.

Kevin Kenny (Author), William Andrew Quinn (Narrator)

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To Catch a Dictator: The Pursuit and Trial of Hissène Habré

What does it take to make a dictator answer for his crimes? Hissene Habre, the former despot of Chad, terrorized, tortured, and killed on a horrific scale over eight years in power-while enjoying full American and Western support. After Habre's overthrow, his victims and their supporters were determined to see him held responsible for his atrocities. Their quest for justice would be long, tense, and unnerving, but they would not back down. To Catch a Dictator is an insider's account of the hunt for Habre and his momentous trial. The human rights lawyer Reed Brody recounts how he and an international team of investigators, legal experts, and victims worked across three continents to unearth evidence and witnesses, petition courts and skeptical governments, and rally public opinion. They faced many obstacles and constant threats. Habre fought back bitterly, drawing on secret bank accounts and extensive political connections to preserve his life of luxurious exile. Yet Brody and his allies ultimately triumphed: Habre became the first former head of state to be convicted of crimes against humanity in the courts of another country. This fast-paced, suspenseful book shows that there is nothing inevitable about the impunity that too often protects the powerful and that even the worst tyrants can be brought to justice.

Reed Brody (Author), Reed Brody (Narrator)

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The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

For those discouraged and exhausted by the bitterness and rage in our politics, Michael Wear offers a new paradigm of political involvement rooted in the teachings of Jesus and drawing insights from Dallas Willard's approach to spiritual formation. When political division shows up not only on the campaign trail but also at our dinner tables, we wonder: Can we be part of a better way? The Spirit of Our Politics says 'yes,' offering a distinctly Christian approach to politics that results in healing rather than division, kindness rather than hatred, and hope rather than despair. In this profound and hope-filled book, Michael Wear--a leading thinker and practitioner at the intersection of faith and politics--applies insights taken from the work of Dallas Willard to argue that by focusing on having the 'right' politics, we lose sight of the kind of people we are becoming, to destructive results. This paradigm-shifting book reveals: - Why we need to reframe how we view our political involvement as Christians - How as Christians we can reorient our politics for the good of others - The crucial connection between discipleship to Jesus and political involvement - A different way of talking about politics that is edifying, not stomach-turning - How to navigate political strife in churches and small groups - Why who we are in our political life is not quarantined from who we are in 'real life' - Why gentleness is entirely possible in our political discourse The Spirit of Our Politics is for readers of any political perspective who long for a new way to think about and engage in politics. That new approach begins with a simple question: What kind of person would I like to be?

Michael R. Wear (Author), Michael Wear (Narrator)

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Empireworld: How British Imperialism Has Shaped the Globe

Brought to you by Penguin. Empireland examined imperialism's lasting impact on Britain. Empireworld traces the legacies of British empire across the globe. 2.6 billion people are inhabitants of former British colonies. The empire's influence upon the quarter of the planet it occupied, and its gravitational influence upon the world outside it, has been profound: from the spread of Christianity by missionaries to nearly 1 in 3 driving on the left side of the road, and even shaping the origins of international law. Yet Britain's idea of its imperial history and the world's experience of it are two very different things. In Empireworld, award-winning author and journalist, Sathnam Sanghera extends his examination of British imperial legacies beyond Britain. Travelling the globe to trace its international legacies - from Barbados and Mauritius to India and Nigeria and beyond - Sanghera demonstrates just how deeply British imperialism is baked into our world. And why it's time Britain was finally honest with itself about empire. PRAISE FOR EMPIRELAND 'Empireland, [a] scorching polemic on the afterburn of empire' Ferdinand Mount, Financial Times 'This book should be on the compulsory reading list of every secondary school in the country' John Simpson 'A compelling and distressing look at how imperialism has defined modern Britain' David Harewood 'I am sold on the larger part of Sanghera's thesis, that the empire could be rotten and we didn't know enough about it . . . The history is on Sanghera's side. The facts speak for themselves' Tim Stanley, Daily Telegraph ©2024 Sathnam Sanghera (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Sathnam Sanghera (Author), Homer Todiwala, TBD (Narrator)

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Why Does Everything Have to Be About Race?: 25 Arguments That Won't Go Away

Some arguments about race refuse to go away. It's time, once and for all, to shatter them. The most toxic racial arguments share one of five traits. They try to erase Black history, prioritize white victimhood, deny Black oppression, promote myths of Black inferiority, or rebrand racism as something else entirely. They're all designed to distract society from racial justice, but now we have the tools to debunk them. With a mixture of personal experience, reportage, and extensive research, Keith Boykin takes a wrecking ball to twenty-five of the most widespread deceptions about race, such as: - The Civil War was about states' rights, not slavery - Affirmative action is reverse discrimination - Critical Race Theory is indoctrinating children to hate one another and shows us how to refute lies, myths, and misinformation with history, knowledge, and truth.

Keith Boykin (Author), Keith Boykin, TBD (Narrator)

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