Progressive Book Club

PROGRESSIVE BOOK CLUB

The Progressive Book Club, under the auspices of the Office Committee, was formed on September 24 at a meeting in the Democratic Party of Washington County's office.  The charter members developed guidelines for the conduct of future meetings.  They selected six books to be read through May.

Members of the Central Committee are invited to attend if they have read the book and are willing to adhere to the discussion guidelines.  Initially, each participant will share his or her opinion of the book.  In the subsequent discussion, a speaker must wait until two people have spoken before speaking again.  Disagreements are encouraged, but civil discourse is expected at all times.

Meetings will be held at 7pm on the fourth Thursday of every month, except November and December, at the Office.

The books selected and the moderators are as follows:

October22      Moderator:  Janice Clark

Johnston, David C.  Free Lunch:  How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You with the Bill).

This book was selected because of its timeliness.  Currently, Merrit Paulson , the scion of  George W's Secretary of the Treasurer and a former Goldman Sachs executive, is trying to get the Beaverton taxpayers to pay $60 million dollars to build his baseball team a stadium.  If you recall, this is how George W. became wealthy.  This book explores how the rich use this and other methods to increase their net worth, while fighting government aid to the poorest Americans.

January 28    Moderator:  Cheryl Bittle

Courtney Dillard.  The Progressive's Pocketbook of Pursuasion

Dillard addresses the most important aspects of persuasion in the political realm.  She provides a toolkit for talking effectively about the key issues facing America today.

February 25     Moderator:  Paul Erickson

Fareed Zakaria.  The Post-American World.

 Zakaria states, "This is not a book about the decline of America, but rather about the rise of everyone else."  He describes a world in which the United States is no longer dominant.  He argues that the rise of countries like China, India, Brazil, and Russia will reshape the world.  How will the United States thrive in this global economy?  Zakaria answers this question with lucidity, insight, and imagination.

March 25    Moderator:  Anne Conley

Jeffrey Toobin.  The Nine:  Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court

 This well-known attorney, CNN legal analyst, and staff writer for The New Yorker presents an intimate look at the diverse group of Supreme Court justices who served our nation over the past two decades.  Rather than dealing with how the Supreme Court works, he focuses upon how the individual justices evolved or failed to evolve over time as they dealt with the most controversial issues of our time--abortion, separation  of  church and state, and affirmative action.  He delves deeply into the Clinton impeachment and the 2000 election.

April 22     Moderator:  Steve Conley

Maude Barlow.  Blue Covenant:  The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water

 Barlow analyzes the upcoming water crisis that she believes will lead to widespread conflict.  She argues that global warning and population growth are depleting the water supply faster than it can be replenished. This shortage is compounded by the pollution of our water supplies.  She discusses how our water policies are contributing to these problems and how the proposed technological solutions fail to solve them.

May 27     Moderator:  Ramona Crocker

John Kroger.  Convictions:  A Prosecutor's Battle against Mafia Killers, Drug Kingpins and Enron Thieves

 This book, written by Oregon's attorney general, is a critical review of his major cases prior to coming to Oregon.  It got excellent reviews on Amazon.  Readers consistently reported having a hard time putting the book down.  They especially appreciated Kroger's writing style and his willingness to analyze his role in the cases.