Welcome to the Book Salon.
Let’s discuss books.

Thank you Bev for the wonderful work you do to bring us such great books and authors! Bravo!!!

Siun, my pleasure.
You had the opportunity to host a book salon this year. How was the experience for you?

Before we get too far into this Bev, I would like to offer my thanks to you for all your hard work on getting these authors and books before our eyes here. It has to be difficult making all the connections and getting all the diverse authors and guest hosts to set aside a couple of hours on an afternoon in order to join us in what was mostly uncharted territory. (I say was mostly uncharted as it now appears a lot of other sites are trying to copy the Book Salon idea with varying degrees of success).

Thank You Thank You Thank You

Thank you so much, Bev, for producing some of the most enjoyable FDL discussions.

Bev, as a committed reader of, and reflector about, books, I have profited much from your amazing endeavours for us here. Many, many thanks and all praise!

At first it was a challenge, figuring how to make it happen, making contacts with publishers and authors. But after the first several months FDL Book Salon took on momentum, based on the quality of our readers and the chats.

What an astonishing list — thank you Bev for all your hard work arranging these interviews. It’s a tribute to your perseverence that FDL Book Salon has developed such a good reputation among authors, agents, and publishers.

So, folks, what books should be next on the list?

I’ve enjoyed books my whole life also. A lot of the Book Salon is because of Jane’s vision and direction.

Thank you, Bev — for the enormous amount of hard work you put in to pulling the Book Salon together each and every week. It’s a huge undertaking, with way more hand-holding and coordination than folks would know if they didn’t see it because you make it look so seamless most of the time. So, thanks, from someone who knows how much work you do — it is very much appreciated. :)

Now then for myself, I do like humor so The Young Dick Cheney, Apocalypse How and Bill of Wrongs were all fun.

We have to have the humor comedy interspersed amongst the serious.

(Of course, I also like to read mystery/detective and sci-fi/fantasy so would enjoy authors like Lawrence Block, Robert Parker, Joe Haldeman, Robert Silverberg, Anne McCraffey, Sue Grafton, Piers Anthony, and many others as an occasional change of pace from the Political minds of the Western world.

i’ll have you know i have bought so many books and it’s all FDLs fault!! *g*
i should buy that Amazon thing and buy books at $9.99 a pop. thing might pay for itself after 40 or so books.

And I would be remiss without thanking all the folks who participate in the comments of the book salons — without the conversations, we don’t have a discussion. So thanks to all of you reading and commenting, too.

And a note: we have a button at the top of the page that lists all the upcoming salons so that you can take a peek and be aware of upcoming books you want to read in advance. Bev’s worked very hard to make that possible for everyone so that folks who want to read the books in full can do so before chatting with the authors. Thought that was worth a reminder in case folks had missed it…

I’d like to thank you and all the other Hosts we’ve had. They are the other quite half of the team. Without the Hosts bringing out the best in the book and authors,it wouldn’t happen.

Which books have you been interested in? I have a book shelves full now.

Ok, I’ll start out cranky, the one FDL book Salon I was disappointed with was the Goodmans’ with their book “Standing Up To The Madness: Ordinary Heroes In Extraordinary Times”

It didn’t seem as if they were listening, or participating in a discussion with us, just talking to us as they promoted their book. I felt like we were w whistle stop and they were breezing by.

I’ve opened Digg for this topic because I believe that the reading list and this entire endeavour should get as wide reknown as possible.

For some reason, as of this writing, the Digg has not shown up above, but the Digg site claims that it has been Dugg by yours truly. I’ll monitor this.

It does seem like an impossibility to be able to read ALL the books available so we must pick and choose (”You must choose – wisely“) but there really are topics for most any taste.

Amy and David were very busy and hard to connect with, and it was a mid-week salon. No excuses, just an observation.

Question – do you enjoy the conversations with the Congressmen and Senators? Does this provide you an opportunity to discuss the current state of the government?

I greatly enjoyed David Iglesias’ Book Salon for In Justice, also that for Pro. Juan Cole’s latest, Napoleon’s Egypt.

Dakine and I have both Dugg this, but it does not show up on FDL site! Alas. Some glitch, it seems.

I enjoyed very much the discussion with the Governor yesterday (it’s easier to remember the more recent ones.) ”Apocalypse How” was a riot, as were the other two books dakine listed as his favorite fun ones,”The Young Dick Cheney” and ”Bill of Wrongs.”

John Dean, Richard Clarke, Glenn Greenwald, Philip Shenon, and David Iglesias were extra special Book Salons for me.

Harry Reid was a huge disappointment.

Notice the TPM and Daily Kos now have book salons. Was FDL first? Thanks, Bev.

Oh yes. I follow the critters better than I can the books. I’ve only read a few of the books on the list.

The authors/Salons I most enjoyed (even if all I could do was read them after the fact) were, in no particular order, Cary Doctorow, Paul Krugman, David Sirota, Cliff Schecter, Thom Hartmann, Muhammad Yunus, John Dean and Matt Taibbi. My budget does not thank you!

David Iglesias was great to work with, just like his comments on the chat. Are you looking forward to Jane Mayer’s book, The Dark Side?

It sometimes takes time for the Digg to update and show on the linked story.

Patience Grasshoppah!

I believe FDL was the first to have a Book Salon consistently every weekend.

I felt that way about the last one w/Richard Clarke for Your Gov Failed You, & am a great admirer of his.

Sorry, just seemed like that IMO>

Harry Reid was a huge disappointment.

As usual with Reid.

Hi Marion!

Harry Reid was a huge disappointment.

Well, at least he’s consistent.

Very much so.

Yes! And I think we learn something about them in the way they interact with us.

I have enjoyed the book salons. I guess, being more of a pixel person myself, I enjoyed little brother.

This is unfortunate because, on her Democracy Now! Amy Goodman is such a good listener/interviewer, IMO. Perhaps anxious to get her book out there and read?

lol, true.

Bev, i’ve bought the books that made sense of what was going on – John Dean’s, Glenn Greenwald’s, the two Naomi’s, Shock Doctrine, The Dark Side (i also bought Vincent Bugliosi’s The Prosecution of W for Murder – that might be a good salon) – i think more to document what happened, because i can hardly read through some of these. Also bought Little Brother – that was very good, especially the Afterword, written by bunny, the MIT student who hacked the X-box. Two Afterwards – both good.

Cory Doctorow was our first fiction book. I’m glad to see that is was enjoyed by so many of our readers.

Clarke is very conservative. So it always makes me feel nervous when I agree with him or someone like Brzezinski on something. Still I loved the way he called bullshit (literally) on some of Bush’s policies.

i’ll try to get Dark Side read – the first time i’ve bought a book ahead of time.

I thought it had to do with slower pace of commenting. Perhaps the difference of venue and rapport with commenters.

I haven’t yet said a hearty “thank you” for all these Book Salons FDL has hosted.

Saying it now. Thx to all involved.

Indeed. Particularly when they take the time to learn to use the “reply” button or respond to a questioner by name. Also, even though we’re usually pretty good about staying on topic from time to time there’s a small digression and if an author responds to one of those it also says a great deal about flexibility and agenda. (The same goes for Blue America folks.)

ah yeah :) Thank Bev for all the hard work!

We had different reactions to the Clarke salon. I felt he responded to nearly every question with thorough consideration.

One discussion I particularly enjoyed was with Charles R. Morris, Trillion Dollar Meltdown. I went back and re-read the book for more insights on how we’re messing up financial markets and the economy.

Thanks Bev!
I also would like some mystery/sci-fi/etc. sprinkled in among the other books.
I liked the John Dean salon best…that and Joe and Valerie Wilson.

Yeah, Clarke also said Pakistan scares him sh!tless – whoooa!

Molly Ivins who is greatly missed and Dahr Jamail who has been a valued source on Iraq since the beginning. He is vastly under rated.

John Dean was brilliant – what a good man.

I’d like to do a big thank you to all the mods and admins behind the scenes. They are great, keeping everything working out front here.
Thank you !!

I agree w/a lot of what both Clarke & the very erudite Brzezinski have to say.

Just thought it was a bit “short shrift” on the last one from R. Clarke. He had elsewhere to be.

Hear, hear!!!

Was just looking a the upcoming salons – some great books to look forward to. You all are doing a great job. thanks.

Do you mean because he could only stay an hour? We’ve had a lot of guests on Book Salon and Blue America for short periods of time, figuring that was better than not having them.

Dahr Jamail is a great resource.

http://dahrjamailiraq.com/email_list/

Thanks for all you’ve done, Bev. Great work.

As a sort of a twist on Book Salon, I wonder what it would be like to have one of our favorite progressives who hasn’t written a book her/himself come on to chat about a book that formed their viewpoint or somehow changed their life. Sound intriguing to anyone else?

Speaking of upcoming Book Salons – Thurston Clarke / The Last Campaign, about RFK’s last month – is hosted by Peter Edelman, RJK’s speech writer.

I’m about to read Sheldon Wolin’s recent book:

Democracy Incorporated: Managed Democracy and the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism

http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8606.html

I’d very much like to have Mr. Wolin do FDL’s Book Salon.

Wolin’s book was very highly praised by Chalmers Johnson in May 2008 on Truthdig (and ignored by almost everyone else).

http://www.truthdig.com/arts_c…..democracy/

Interesting – any suggestions as to who you would like to see?

Clarke is a good tool to prod the FOX bubble.

I admit that I usually do not read the books for book salons. By the time I’ve gone through scanning the news and markets, reading the government report, indictment, or court opinion, I usually need to go do something else to clear my head. I am currently reading Toobin’s The Nine and will definitely try to read Mayer’s The Dark side.

I would say that Naomi Klein’s Shock Doctrine as a theme has made a big impact and is often cited in economic discussions here at the lake. I can’t help seeing it as tied in with the corporatism associated with fascism.

RFK hosted by his speechwriter – oh, my. another must buy.

No, because of the way he (again IMO) blew off several questions, including those I had posed. In a hurry, I guessed @ the time.

No matter, eg. Let’s agree to disagree.

I was thinking the same thing. Invite top bloggers in for discussions. Maybe even two at once if possible. (Our own FDL folks included)

Well, the first man who springs to mind is Chris Dodd. I realize he has written “Letters From Nuremberg,” but I’d love to hear from him what inspired his fierce faith in and dedication to the Constitution.

About a specific book or a pre-selected topic? free for all?

Actually, IIRC, Dodd answered that when he was here that it was his father being one of the Nuremburg prosecutors that informed a lot of his dedication.

But maybe if he came back and talked to us about how and what we can do to get the Fourth Amendment back…

Maybe a Saturday Salon for possibly non-authors or authors discussing things other than their books, and regular Sunday Book Salon for authors introducing and discussing their books?

Yes!

See?!!

Hey, we could invite David Brooks. He’s always just written some piece of trash. But if he came, he could tell us what we think. Wouldn’t that be an experience!

With 1968 being such a big year – I am seeing a lot of books about that time. Such as, 1960: LBJ vs JFK vs Nixon, The Epic Campaign the Forged Three Presidencies – would this be of interest?

Wash your mouth out with soap! But if you want to go down that road we could invite MoDo to explain the ins and outs of the feminization of the Democratic male…

To be honest, Senator Dodd I think has been here probably more than any other politician since he did a couple of visits (including a vlog) back when he was a presidential candidate and took a whole range of questions from folks. Made for a bit of fun to hear him replying to some of the User names of folks here.

that will be a poignant one.

Ouch!

To be honest, there are some authors who decline our invitation to be on the Book Salon. Such as Cokie Roberts, and Newt Gingrich.

Rather than count how many people gave Bev props so far, me [that many+1]. I’m always amazed at how beautifully you make this all run.

There were a lot of these I enjoyed, but I was fangirlishly atwitter to be interacting in real time with Muhammed Yunus (although I think I was too intimidated to post, so maybe I wasn’t exactly interacting).

I could’ve, is the point.

True but that goes beyond Book Salon and deeper into the community.

OO nice, perhaps we could even get the Bloody Kirstol here.

I suspect it would void Cokie Roberts’ contract with WalMart if she appeared here.

Then I guess he was here either when I was at the regular job where for some reason FDL is unfindable or I was working at home. Sorry I missed so much.

Oh dear, well, we will have to cope as best we can.

Muhammad Yunis, was great to work with. He was so excited to chat with you here at the Lake. He sent me several emails after asking questions about FDL and chatting (it was his first).

You really invited them?! Their unwillingness to be here tells me they both have a highly developed sense of self-preservation!

lol! that’d be fun :D I’d pity the mods tho.

Cokie Roberts? What too many BBQs with cocktail wienies to attend? Can anyone remember far enough back to the days when she was considered a ‘fresh voice’ and something of an iconoclast?

Speaking of being fangirlishly atwitter, I really enjoyed having Olbermann here!

back to being cranky, I’m not interested in having Nancy Pelosi here to discuss her book “Know Your Power: A Message to America’s Daughters.”

Mr. Yunus was a high point for me too. Fangirlish and atwitter though I was I asked a question, to which he responded. Don’t let fandom stand in the way!

It might challenge thier celebrity status.

Only if you have enough Hazmat suits for everyone and 55 gallon drums of brain bleach everywhere. He’s truly toxic.

Bev does a ton of work on the book salons. They couldn’t run without her, and I too have heard the authors say how much they love them.

Bev, if folks think of book suggestions after the comments on this thread are closed, how can they get them to you? Should they use the suggestions post?

I read quite a few political books and stay up on the themes of the new ones, but I don’t have time to read ahead for the book salon. I do look forward to this aspect of FDL and I think that it is and has been extremely valuable in helping to form opinions or strengthen our knowledge base. My thanks to all involved in the endeavor.

I did manage to read The End of America (Naomi Wolf) and Right is Wrong (Arianna Huffington). In a short book Wolf manages to provide a very deep analysis of our situation now in America. Huffington manages to be tremendously snarky while pointing out how the Right is wrong.

I would also suggest that you need not stay with newly published books for discussion. Perhaps you could get an author whose work has been out for some time and see how his/her viewpoint has been affected by reaction or how the work has been useful to the public. I’m thinking of Chalmers Johnson, Scott Ritter, and Kevin Phillips as examples.

I thought Clarke was very frank in his answers, even if he did leave early. He took some real hardballs about his boss Obama and he didn’t spin them. “Bad decision on FISA” and so on. He really impressed me, actually.

I try not to, but when I run into someone who I think has done Great Things, all of a sudden I’m Chris Farley (Remember when you won the Nobel Prize for giving hundreds of thousands of people a chance to live in dignity? That was awesome…)

back to being cranky, I’m not interested in having Nancy Pelosi here to discuss her book “Know Your Power: A Message to America’s Daughters.”

Would this message include why she took impeachment off the table, worked with Hoyer to pass the FISA Amendments Act, or explain the difference between leading and advocacy?

Well, it might be fun to see how she reacts to the disapproval that cannot help but seep into comments, along the lines of “given your inability to lead as Speaker of the House, how would you suggest we train our daughters to be leaders?”

Good question – you can contact me directly at FiredoglakeBookSalon@gmail.com
Let me know what you are thinking, recommend some books.

I suggest these as possibilities:
Mahvish Rukhsana Khan, “My Guantanamo Diary: The Detainees and the Stories They Told Me”

and
Rajmohan Gandhi, “Gandhi: The Man, His People, and the Empire”

and
Mary Tillman, “Boots on the Ground By Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman”

and
Chris Hedges, “Collateral Damage”

Maybe a link to a suggestion box in the sidebar would be helpful? Although maybe a dedicated gmail address might not be a bad idea.

Honestly, I usually haven’t read most of the books featured on Book Salon, but at least from the discussion, I know they are out there and get a general idea of content. Time doesn’t allow me all the reading time that I would like.

That said, I don’t usually miss reading a Book Salon, even if I don’t participate. I think they are successful because the owner of this site and moderators keep a good balance between being too confrontational, and being respectful of the authors who participate and staying on topic.

Actually, I am in awe of the persons behind the scenes who put it together, get the authors to participate, and make it happen.

Thank you!

Thank you for letting me know you are out there and that we are meeting your expectations with the Book Salon. Thanks.

The McCain campaign and the usual suspects in the media are trying to portray Obama’s stance on Iraq as soft on genocide, perhaps a good salon would be We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda by Philip Gourevitch

I’d be really interested to see what someone who actually knows what he’s talking about makes of the spin.

In fairness my t00bz didn’t work that day. While there is a lot to agree with in his book I thought it primarily challenged the FOX demographic.

Actually no. Kookie Roberts has never been a journalist. She is a corporate lobbyist who loves war.

VANDEN HEUVEL: If we withdraw responsibly, the region would be more stable in the long term, America will be restored as a responsible global leader, and there are 42 challengers, you are absolutely right Cokie, who have a responsible plan to withdraw.

ROBERTS: Convincing the electorate of that I think would be very difficult, and I also agree that the notion that Sen. McCain and Sen. Graham you heard this morning putting forward, that Americans would prefer to win, is–

http://mediamatters.org/items/200608060002

OT just saw Solzhenitsyn has died. He was a crazy coot but his Gulag Archipelago is monumental.

While, I’m at it, I would like to add that I know of no other site who got Hillary Clinton to come to a question and answer session. I know it was not a Book Salon setting where this took place, but bravo to whoever pulled that one off. It was short notice, no pre-publicity, and a short session, but I can tell you it sure impressed me.

FDL rocks!

Thank you all for all your time and comments.
Good recommendations for books and some program changes.
It has been fun – and thank you all.

She was, though. That’s the sad part. She was a pretty decent reporter for NPR.

Unfortunately the dominant powerbroker in her family is no longer her Democrat dad. It’s her WalMart lobbyist brother.

Thank YOU!

bev – i want to add my thanks. even when i don’t participate in a book salon, i frequently read the thread later.

i thought harry reid, wes clark and mark penn (*) were incredibly and revealingly lame. although i can’t say i enjoyed those book salons, i thought they were very helpful and informative. in the same vein i would like to see nancy pelosi invited to book salon – but not if we have to pretend to think up is down.

(*)penn was not on your list but he was after valerie plame wilson so i’m guessing that it’s ok to include him?

It wasn’t about hs leaving early, as I said before. Many have had to do that & it’s understood.

I thought Clarke’s answers on all subjects were generally good, but IMO were not as complete as you must have thought them to be, Ian. Given his background & how he might more fully have answered them, that is.
Perhaps not the right forum for the kind of answers I personally would prefer.

YMMV

Yes he was on my watch – it really was interesting.

Phoenix Woman upstairs on MoDo and Jane Austen

New PW with the latest lolcat

I would guess that Clarke was constrained in some of his answers by his security clearances. It makes it difficult to address in detail some of the questions asked as it could then leave him liable to prosecution. After all the laws DO apply to folks like Clarke that DON’T apply to folks in BushCo.

I agree and would add, among others, Christine Pelosi.

lol

Point taken, dakine01.

bev – there are twobooks i’ve recommended before (so they are not new) and the authors are not necessarily progressive (but we’ve had plenty of non-progressive authors so hopefully that’s ok). i recommend these because i think the information and/or ideas are helpful to be aware of as we discuss policy issues.

robert pape – Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism
jared diamond – Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail Or Succeed

thanks again.

Thanks to Bev and all the behind the scenes workers who make the book salons work. I enjoyed John Dean the most. I am always interested to read the interplay with the political types. It is as interesting to see what questions they answer and which ones they ignore.

These are such an incredible learning opportunity. It has also been a priviledge to watch Firedoglake develop over these last years. Thanks to all.

We all have such an incredible opportunity to learn from this forum in all it’s aspects.

Bev, I’m usually about but rarely ask questions – probably would be otherwise if I’d read the books in advance. The questions and the ensuing discussions are generally enormously satisfying.

You do a stellar job!

John Dean was excellent, agreed, as were so many, many others.

Don’t want a neg swing left here as to how I view the FDL Book Salons, as that is not @ all the case- they are @ the top of my email headsup/followup list mailed to all in my address book.

Thx again for all the effort necessary to make them possible.

never read the unabridged version. and even then there are some parts i wasn’t able to get through. i just feel the weight of the darkness closing in and have to stop. what can i say? i’m a lightweight.

Looking back, I saw that for my whole conscious life I had not understodd either myself or my strivings. What had seemed for so long to be beneficial now turned out in actuality to be fatal, and I had been striving to go in the opposite direction to that which was truly necessary to me. But just as the waves of the sea knock the inexperienced swimmer off his feet and keep tossing him back onto the shore, so also was I painfully tossed back on dry land by the blows of misfortune. And it was only because of this that I was able to travel the path which I had always really wanted to travel.

It was granted me to carry away from my prison years on my bent back, which nearly broke beneath its load, this essential experience: how a human being becomese evil and how good. In the intoxication of youthful successes I had felt myself to be infallible, and I was therefore cruel. In the surfeit of power I was a murderer, and an oppressor. In my most evil moments I was convinced that I was doing good, and was well supplied with systematic arguments. And it was only when I lay there on rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirrings of good. Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separaring good and evil passes not throough states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either — but right through every human heart — and through all human hearts.

just quickly typed this from my book. please excuse the typos, but it seemed to me a fitting reminder.

Late to the party, but just wanted to add my thanks to Bev for her great work.

Normally just lurk here (usually don’t even bother to login), but the few times I have engaged in discussion have mostly been book salons. It’s a great opportunity to interact with a very impressive list of authors. Easier to pick out the few crappy ones (esp. Mark Penn!!) than the many, many excellent ones.

So many thanks to you Bev, and to FDL for making it possible.

I rarely get to read the books before hand, but always try to read the Book Salon threads because they are totally fascinating. The commenters really delve deep, and even if I haven’t read the book, I’m usually at least familiar with the issue at hand. So, very educational. And, very revealing the way the author responds (or not) to various questions. So, it’s a way to get into the mind of the author, and that is a great bonus.

John Dean (imo) set the bar really high for “the best author participation” at a Book Salon. He was amazing.

In short, it’s not only a matter of choosing the “right” books, but also the quality of the author’s comments that makes a huge difference.

And, if you get what I mean, I’d say that the Mark Penn Book Salon thread was VERY educational! So, I think it’s important to include people like him in Book Salon- not just “sure bets” that we progressives will embrace. It’s rare to have the chance to “talk” to someone like him in real time, and that is another great aspect to Book Salon.

I read a book, ‘Kafka comes to America’, which outlined the legal battle for justice for Branden Mayfield (the wrongly accused Muslum who they thought helped in the Spain bombings-remember the fingerprint on the plastic trash bag?) and other detainees . Written by the attorney who ended up representing them its a scary tale of unlawful detention and torture. It also covered the non traditional prosecution tactics of the DOJ. Very interesting.

Sorry I missed this. I just LOVE the book salons. Wonderful books and shares from authors and participants. Favorites for me, wish I could have attended more, were Cong. Wexler, Myra Macpherson, Gov. Kunin, Paul Alexander. I particularly like to hear about women’s issues.

AWESOME book I am reading now is an educational primer for political history… an easy and thorough read that makes one feel more grounded in fact and history in sharing opinions. It is by Jessamyn Conrad,

Oooops… my response went off without me being done. Tried to make a capital… sorry

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT POLITICS… BUT DON’T.

A Nonpartisan guide to the issues, endorsed by Obama AND Dole on the cover. She pulls it off. Would love her to be at a Salon.

I loved:

Krugman – Conscience of a Liberal

Ivins & Dubose – Bill of Wrongs

Al Gore – The Assault on Reason – for laying out info about comm mediums so thoroughly, very good information, but a bit long, but so what?

Greenwald – all his books ROCK…

And a big thanks to FDL for weekend book reviews

Ms. Bev,

am way late to the party as I work week ends so I miss most of the Salons in real time. but I do go back and read the Salon thread – I learn so much from the Authors and Commenters – and it’s evident the Authors enjoy the experience (makes me so proud to be a Firedog)

one of the few I was able to enjoy in real time was Kevin Phillips showing up in an afternoon thread (oft mentioned as a firedog fave) – what a treat for all of us there that day!

Thank you so much Bev – I have been informed, edumacated, and entertained by all your hard work.

Brava!