Fagburn: The Richard (Not Judy) Book Club

In the absence of anything interesting to write about today I'm doing some reading.
A copy of The Passion Of Bradley Manning by Chase Madar has arrived, so I've started on that.
Thanks Chase.

'Who is Private First Class Bradley Manning? Why did he allegedly commit the largest security breach in American history--and why was it so easy? Is Manning a traitor or a whistleblower? Is long-term isolation an outrage to American values--or the new norm? Are the leaks revolutionary or a sensational nonevent? Which is the greater security threat, routinized elite secrecy or flashes of transparency? And what impact does new information really have?'

It's available in the UK now for ten of your English pounds.
You can read an excerpt here, and you can watch an interview with Chase Madar here.
But remember: Other books are available.
Like this one here, Occupy by Noam Chomsky.
Though technically it's a pamphlet.

'Through talks and conversations with movement supporters, Occupy presents a crystallization of Chomsky’s latest thinking on the cornerstones issues, questions and demands that are driving ordinary Americans to protest. How did we get to this point? How are the wealthiest 1% influencing the nation? How are the financial crisis and our political system linked?  How has corporate personhood impacted the country and why should it be stopped? How can we get money out of politics? What would a genuinely democratic election look like? How can we redefine basic concepts like “growth” to increase equality and quality of life for all? How can we sustain the movement and turn this country around?'

PS The book I'm really looking forward to is Tom Daley: My Story, obvs.

UND! Why Do We Need Whistleblowers in a Democracy? An Evening with Craig Murray, Ex Ambassador, Author, Broadcaster, Whistleblower and Human Rights Activist, Cardiff University. Monday April 16th.