Jim Hightower, long-time Texas populist and dispenser of down-home progressive wisdom, holds forth at JimHightower.com.

BuzzFlash is a great admirer of Hightower, who was a great upholder of democracy long before the Internet came along and the Blogosphere appeared to take ownership of progressivism. It's heroes like Hightower -- close friends and rebels in arms with the late Molly Ivins -- who set the foundation for the anti-corporate return to the Constitution and government of the people, by the people and for the people.

And Hightower is still going strong: writing, lecturing (he's a delight to listen too), and agitating.

His latest book is not about electing anyone, but about what we can do as individuals and groups to make change happen. Don't wait for change to come; make it. That's what "Swim Against the Current: Even a Dead Fish Can Go With the Flow" is all about.

In "Swim Against the Current," Hightower -- along with Susan DeMarco -- empowers us to be the change.

From Publishers Weekly:

Syndicated columnist Hightower (Thieves in High Places) joins writer and activist DeMarco to produce this irreverent and uplifting look at how individuals and companies can be both successful and socially responsible. Disproving the notion that a business must operate solely to improve its bottom line, they share inspirational stories from a variety of industries including international banking, real estate development, medical services, and environmentally safe, sustainable farming. Hightower and DeMarco include portraits of progressive community organizations, activists and individuals-such as ACORN and the Rev. Rich Cizik-who have bucked the system and realized richer, happier lives. To their credit, the authors do not traffic in abstracts. They provide tangible steps to escape "corporate tentacles" and become catalysts for change; the book even lists contact information for a majority of the individuals and companies discussed. An entertaining and insightful look at making a living while staying true to one's values, this book will please Hightower's many fans and will earn him more than a few new ones.