BuzzFlash Reviews

June 2005

Start Making Sense: Turning the Lessons of Election 2004 into Winning Progressive Politics by Don Hazen (Editor), Lakshmi Chaudhry (Editor)

BUZZFLASH REVIEWS

Before we talk about this uplifting anthology for activists stricken with the second-term Bush regime blues, we wanted to mention small publishing firms and their importance to democracy. As part of BuzzFlash's mission, we try to promote pro-democracy books, CDs and DVDs, whenever we come across a good one and can fit it into our premium schedule. In addition, we try to buy and sell books from independent publishers whenever we can. That is not often possible, because most books today are distributed under imprints that are really owned by a few major corporate publishing houses.

But small presses have managed to survive and are the backbone of many of the most innovative and progressive books being published. Chelsea Green Publishing, located in White River Junction, Vermont, has recently printed George Lakoff's guide to "framing," "Guantanamo," and "Start Making Sense," the book we are offering as a premium today. They are three books that the major publishing houses might not have picked up. BuzzFlash has sold them all, thanks to Chelsea Green and their commitment to democracy.

With that said, we highly recommend this anthology assembled by "Alternet." It is divided into three sections: "Looking Back," "Looking Forward," and "Getting Active."
The anthology includes a stellar group of progressive commentators and covers a wide range of issues of interest to BuzzFlash readers.

Books like this are extremely important because pro-democracy advocates are stuck with two choices: they can give in to the Bushevik mafia efforts to demoralize dissent or they can renew their activism and reclaim democracy from the barbarians in the White House, Congress and federal bench. Those, alas, are the only two choices.

Who was it that said, "I have just begun to fight"? If that's how you feel, this is the book for you.

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