More book notes: (1) Do you write Amazon reviews
for the books you've enjoyed (2) Say it ain't so: No more reviews from the great Russell Baker

While I'm on this crusade to support the books written by "our" writers, my attention has been called to an unanticipated (by me, anyway) reality of modern-day book publishing: Publishers like to see Amazon reviews. It's possible that quantities of them actually do help sell books, presumably on the theory that prospective book-buyers gain confidence through seeing lots of encouraging reviews. (Isn't this pretty much the way Dickens sold his books? Or maybe not.)

Or it could be that seeing lots of reviews merely boosts the morale of publishers. Apparently they do, and this seems to hold true from the hardiest independents all the way up to the mightiest publishing juggernauts. I don't know about you, but I've never written an Amazon review in my life. I guess I'm going to have to change that.


OH NO, NO MORE RUSSELL BAKER REVIEWS?!

When I proposed Russell Baker as an obvious first choice to review Rick Perlstein's Nixonland, I was still entertaining the hope that he would be doing so in the New York Review of Books, where he has been doing far-too-occasional reviewing for some years now. He has obviously been exceedingly picky about the material he's let himself be persuaded to review (which no doubt has a good deal to do with why each of his reviews is such an occasion), and the subject matter is obviously right up his alley.

I'm afraid my Baker-NYRB fantasy has gone down the drain, though. Rick himself informs me that RB has retired from the book-reviewing gig. Man, if anyone has earned his freedom (and I hope it's a matter of choice on his part), he's it. (Over the years I acquired a small collection of exceedingly gracious replies to gushy fan letters I wrote him.) But man, am I depressed!

Give me a moment here, would you?

Okay, I'll do some more moping later, on my time. Meanwhile, I had actually planned to throw out two names from my the top of my list of 100 candidates the NYT Book Review could have considered to review Nixonland before any of the editors should have reached the level of desperation where one of them suggested, however pathetically, "Um, about [mumbling], you know, Will?" (To which the answer in any case should have been, "Don't be stupid, Penrose!")

You know, it occurs to me that it could all have been a sad misunderstanding. Maybe what Penrose mumbled wasn't "Will," but "Wills"! And he was shy about it, not because he thought it was a contemptible suggestion, but because he was surprised, even embarrassed, that nobody higher up on the NYTBR food chain had thought of maybe the foremost political essayist writing today, Garry Wills.

Garry Wills's name, actually, was the other one I meant to propose, and now that's my NYRB fantasy for Nixonland -- for the simple reason that I would love to read that review.

By the way, Rick also informs me that Russell Baker in fact reviewed his first book for NYRB. I don't know how I didn't remember that. Maybe the same way I don't remember more and more of the stuff I once knew. But I offered him belated congratulations -- what a way to launch a book-writing career!

Read The Full Article:
http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2008/05/more-book-notes-1-do-you-write-amazon
.html

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Good Tidings from the Weekly Standard

THE FIFTH COLUMNIST by P.M. Carpenter

Rare is the occasion that Fred Barnes can brighten. But on the occasion of this morning, this he has done, with his latest addition to the Weekly Standard titled, "Gloomy Republicans: For good reason?"

After reading it, one can only assume the question mark was inserted by other WS editors as an afterthought of readership appeasement, because Barnes leaves little doubt -- for numerous, and Bookmark/Search this post with: buzzflash | delicious | digg | technorati Technorati Tags: P.M. Carpenter mccain republicans general election

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http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/carpenter/070

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The Clintons are still searching for smut to
bring down Obama

Bill and Hillary both just earned four Monicas for this revelation. Yes, for all of you who think Hillary is going to go away after a few weeks of electoral therapy (you know, she's very sensitive and needs a few weeks to process her loss), think again. These people are out to destroy Obama, and now we find out via the media that - surprise - that's exactly what they're doing. CNN is reporting that:

"[T]he Clinton campaign's search for damaging information and its hope that such information exists continues, according to knowledgeable sources."

Wow, so what kind of damaging information are we talking about? Like if Obama were getting oral sex from a kid his daughter's age, at work, while talking on the phone with foreign leaders, with his wife down the hall? Like Obama lying under oath, obstructing justice, and dragging the entire country through the mud for two years? Like hiding files relevant to an investigation until after the statute of limitations ran out? Hey, maybe they mean like Obama flying around the country with his rich friend boinking every bimbo he can find in Vegas and everywhere else?

I'm just trying to understand what kind of "damaging information" the Clintons are trying to get on Obama? Hey, maybe they simply think Obama is a closet racist, and is only out to help "white Americans"? Yeah that must be it. Anyway, congratulations to the Clintons for earning four out of five Monicas for the audacity to continue trying to destroy Obama even after the nomination race is over.

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Americablog/~3/288148058/clintons-are-still-search
ing-for-smut.html

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Let's Talk Honestly: Black men & the police

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AfricanAmericanOpinion/~3/288133011/lets-talk-hone
stly-black-men-police.html

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Sunday Morning Talking Head Thread

Wonder, by Natalie Merchant.Happy Mother’s Day!   I have disappointed my babies by not sleeping in and thwarting their effort to bring me breakfast in bed in order to bring you fine people the Sunday morning news schedule.  So I hope you indulge me with a little tribute to my own babies.  This song was on [...]

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http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/05/11/sunday-morning-talking-head-thread-4/

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John McCain--POW story

The supposed Republican war hero John McCain is said to have traded secrets with the Vietnamese whilst in captivity. Certainly there are many veterans of the Vietnam war who do not buy the story which McCain is pushing. Indeed, there were many serving soldiers who wanted McCain charged when the war was over because of his actions.

Indeed, other POW's who were imprisoned with McCain were given their promotion when they were freed, it is rather notable that McCain did not get any promotion as the top brass knew exactly what he did whilst he was held captive.

Here Colonel Earl Hopper tells the story of McCain's time as a POW and goes as far as to call McCain a "traitor" who caused the death of many Americans. It's quite a different story from the one which McCain is pedalling.

Phung Van Chung, 70, who was a Communist Party official at the time, claims McCain was quickly singled out for softer treatment, adding: ?I found out he was the son of an American admiral, so the top people wanted to keep him as a live witness so they could use him for negotiations.?

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Read the transcripts here.

Related Articles:

Top Cop Says McCain Was Never Tortured

A former Vietnam veteran with top secret clearance says he has personally spoken to numerous POW's who dispute John McCain's claim that he refused to provide information after he was captured and tortured in Hanoi, saying that in fact McCain's code-name was "Songbird" because of his willingness to tell all to avoid torture.

Tags: John McCain, war hero, Vietnam war

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http://the-osterley-times.blogspot.com/2008/05/john-mccain-pow-story.html

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Grandma, what big diamonds you have

Blogger Interrupted noticed that John McCain's surrogate on THIS WEEK is wearing more jewels than, well, let's just say that she could probably sell her quarter-sized diamond earrings and her diamond-studded cross and bail out half the mortgages in America.

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Americablog/~3/288112185/grandma-what-big-diamonds
-you-have.html

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Political Pragmatism Or Expediency

Guest post by GreyIn a seven-page profile, The New York Times charts the history of Barack Obama’s political awakening, from his days as a third-year law student at Harvard to the campaign trail.The secret of his transformation, which has brought[...]

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http://www.taylormarsh.com/archives_view.php?id=27652

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Sunday Talking Heads: May 11, 2008

Sunday Talking Head lineup for May 11, 2008.[...]

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http://firedoglake.com/2008/05/11/sunday-talking-heads-may-11-2008/

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Docudharma Times Sunday May 11

The Shinkansen of NewsSunday's Headlines: Race may not be Obama's biggest hurdle: Severe storms kill at least 18 in Missouri, Okla.: Sudan cuts Chad ties over attack: Southern Africa: SADC Divided Over Zimbabwe: Burma exports rice as cyclone victims[...]

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Docudharma/~3/288008190/showDiary.do

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