I wonder how many Kossacks and other progressives noticed what happened in the non-fiction section of the New York Times Book review this week:
--8 of the 10 books on the list were on for the very first time;
--Many of the new books on the list were either moderately or spectacularly progressive in their underpinnings; and
--NONE of the new eight titles had a right-wing lean—e.g., no new books by Bill O’Reilly and his buddies.
--My last point before citing many of the terrific titles on the brand new list is that it clearly is a sign as to where the more intellectual aspects of our society are headed—miles and miles away from MAGATism and the hard right. In my view, this is an an extraordinarily important signal. And, I do not believe that it ever happened before in the annals of the Times Book review.
So, which books am I talking about, that showed up on the list for the first time ever?
They include these 5, along with three others:
David Corn’s wonderful “American Psychosis,” about the last 70 years of the deterioration of the Republican Party, and its link to corporatism; “It's important and compelling,” journalist Jonathan Alter said. “And true!” Mary Trump observed, “In his brilliant new book American Psychosis, David Corn reveals the historical roots of our current crises and the GOP's decades-long descent into extremism and paranoia. An important, timely, and excellent read.
“Dinners with Ruth” by Nina Totenberg, about her important friendship with RBG:
“Nina Totenberg is the voice of authority on all things related to the U.S. Supreme Court. Her 1991 NPR scoop on Anita Hill’s allegations of sexual harassment by Clarence Thomas made history, and her insightful reporting has earned her numerous awards.
“Holding the Line,” by Goeffrey Berman,
“Holding the Line review: Geoffrey Berman blasts Barr and dumps Trump.” in the Guardian:
The fired New York prosecutor has produced a classic of a modern literary genre: Trump alumni revenge porn
Trying to justify the decision, Barr twisted himself into a pretzel. Donald Trump had not nominated Berman. Jeff Sessions, Barr’s predecessor as attorney general, named him to the post on an interim basis and a panel of federal judges kept him on. Barr’s authority to rid himself of this troublesome prosecutor was at best disputable.
Revenge is best served cold. Two years and three months later, Berman is back with a memoir, Holding the Line. In the annals of Trump alumni revenge porn, it is an instant classic. It is smart and crisp. It is full of bile and easy to read.
Barr wrote his own book. He has toured the TV studios, seeking rehabilitation. Over 350 pages, Berman immolates all that.
He also tells the public what Trump and his own transition team knew from the outset: Rudy Giuliani was “unhinged”, and friends with the bottle. The chaos of Giuliani’s work as Trump’s attorney, through impeachment and insurrection, cannot have been a surprise. It may be surprising, though, that he was once in contention to be secretary of state.
“Like a Rolling Stone,” the memoir by the founder, co-editor and publisher of Rolling Stone Magazine
Sep 11, 2022 — “Like a Rolling Stone” is about birth, the origin of a scrappy San Francisco music rag and its development into a slick, bicoastal boomer bible.
“ Profiles in Ignorance,” by Andy Borowitz, review on Northeast Public Radio WAMC.
The New Yorker's Andy Borowitz is back with his first book in ten-years, "Profiles in Ignorance: How America’s Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber" - which examines the intellectual deterioration of American politics, from Ronald Reagan to Dan Quayle, from George W. Bush to Sarah Palin, to its apotheosis in Donald J. Trump.
For over 20 years, Borowitz has been skewering American politics and culture in his satirical column “The Borowitz Report,” a New Yorker staple since 2012, for which he won the first-ever National Press Club award for humor. And unlike the column that made him famous, nothing in his new book is made up.
And, three others that might not be quite as emphatically progressive, but are certainly NOT part of the recent expansion of hard-right porn. I haven’t read a single one of these yet, I admit, but I will, probably starting with Corn and Berman. But the fact that 8 new books showed up as Best Sellers at once, and none of them support the wacko, hard-right Trumpist agenda, is a pretty big deal—especially this close to the election.