Oconee Democrats' Books for 2009

 

 

Subject: Oconee Democrats' Books for 2009
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:00:06 +0000


Hello!

Will you please help us get out word of our upcoming books? More people
from the community -- conservatives and independents -- are joining us
these days. I think there's a hunger to connect with people and to
learn more about what's going on around us -- and each other.

Thank you!

Pat Priest
Member,
Oconee Democrats
-----------------------------------------
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The book group sponsored by the Oconee Democrats has announced the 2009
slate of books the group will read and discuss to learn more about
history, nature and politics. The list includes stirring stories of
social change enacted by abolitionists (Adam Hochschild's award-winning
"Bury the Chains") and ordinary people ("Three Cups of Tea" by Greg
Mortenson and David Oliver Relin) and encompasses books about Georgia
(E.L. Doctorow's "The March" and Janisse Ray's beloved "Ecology of a
Cracker Childhood").

The group, which as been meeting since June 2006, is about as diverse as
their reading list; readers live in Oconee and surrounding counties and
hold wide-ranging political views. Newcomers are always welcomed.

The January book, Charles Mann's "1491: New Revelations of the Americas
Before Columbus," provides a sense of the group's interests and
willingness to take on challenges. (Some of the books are rather long
-- especially by book group standards!) Christopher Farrell of Business
Week calls "1491" fascinating and surprising, describing the book this
way: "Mann taps into recent scholarship that challenges the conventional
wisdom about Indian culture, society and politics." That openness to
new ideas and interest in history and events currently taking place in
the world characterizes the group, whose other selections include former
CIA operative Robert Baer's "The Devil We Know: Dealing with the New
Iranian Superpower"; Jeffrey Toobin's book about the Supreme Court ("The
Nine"); Nassim Taleb's "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly
Improbable"; and "Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution
-- And How it Can Renew America" by Thomas Friedman.

The books make great holiday gifts and can be purchased locally at
Books Galore in Watkinsville, where the owner, Debbie Wagner, provides a
25% discount.

The group meets at 6 PM the Third Thursday of every month at Five Points
Deli on Epps Bridge Parkway, with the conversation getting underway
around 6:15.

For more information, contact Pat Priest at ppriest@charter.net.



January 15
"1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus" by Charles C. Mann.

February 19
"Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School
at a Time" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

March 19
"The Nine" by Jeffrey Toobin

April 16
"The Black Swan" by Nassim Taleb

May 21
"Bury the Chains" by Adam Hochschild

June 18
"Ecology of a White Cracker Childhood" by Janisse Ray

July 16
"The Devil We Know: Dealing with the New Iranian Superpower" by Robert
Baer

August 20
"The March" by E.L. Doctorow

September 17
"Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution -- And How it
Can Renew America" by Thomas Friedman