Voting is a public exercise, but such a personal expression, too. Here are a few of the books I want to read before I vote. I’m sure the list will evolve. You probably have your own list of reading materials to share.
Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism, by Muhammad Yunus/Karl Weber. Yunus is an economist and one of the first to promote micro-lending to the poor. In this book, he seems to want to discuss how to how to fight poverty by infusing an entrepreneurial spirit into the process, as opposed to relying on old forms of charity.
Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America’s Reputation and Leadership, by Madeleine Albright. The former secretary of state outlines what the next president will want to consider when putting together a foreign policy team, how to use (but not abuse) the role of the presidency, and anticipate actions of countries like Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, North Korea, etc. It also sounds like balanced inspiration for voters to determine for themselves which presidential candidate is best suited for the foreign policy role of the presidency.
Reefer Madness: Sex, Drugs, and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market, by Eric Schlosser. The author of Fast Food Nation offers personal narratives from those in black market industries. It is also about migrant labor and the hypocrisies of the American justice system, issues none of the candidates have touched upon. I suspect it’s less a guide for the voter than an eye-opening, personal read.
The End of America: A Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot, by Naomi Wolf. I’ve been more than alarmed at the disintegration of our civil rights under the Bush administration. I also don’t feel that this is apt to change much under a new president, Republican or Democrat. I’m curious to see what Wolf has to say about the similarities (and dissimilarities) between the U.S. and former fascist regimes, though I’m already a little skeptical.
The U.S. Constitution, by our Founding Fathers. I was an American Studies major in college, but I need a refresher course before reading The End of America above. I have printouts of the Constitution, but it can be found in bookstores and online, too.
