Can you still read political books?

[ChrisNYC]

I'm just wondering if I'm the only person with this reaction. At the start of the occupation, I read every book. (Bush Dyslexicon, Best Democracy Money Can Buy, Lies and the Lying Liars, Big Lies, Great Unraveling, etc.) Now, while I'm interested at first (Worse than Watergate, Against All Enemies) I can't bring myself to buy them. I know it will just further prove what I already know and further upset and enrage me. I already think my biggest weakness when arguing with conservatives is my passion -- I am honestly upset and offended by what they do, and it's tough for me to always stay "calm" when trying to discuss things like why Halliburton isn't good for the country. At some point, it just became too much for me to keep seeing the corruption of this administration laid out in clear print, yet seeing the polls that 60% of Americans still think W is a great guy to have a picnic with. Now reading these books just makes me angry, and lately I've been reading lazy fiction. (On my 2nd John Grisham book in a month)

Chris

[AgadorSparticus]

1. i know what you mean. i had a hard time getting thru shrub by ivins

it just infuriates me too much. but right now i am very much enjoying clarke's book. will probably get dean's and woodward's too.

[pmbryant]

2. I was saturated for a while, but I'm back into them now

Last summer, after reading Franken's book, Joe Conason's book, and much of both Molly Ivins' and Paul Krugman's books, I got burned out on them. It just become too maddening.

So I took a break for several months. But reading Richard Clarke's book last week seems to have jolted me out of that pattern. I've now started into 'Worse than Watergate' by John Dean.

Clarke's book was excellent, and only the last chapter was about G.W.Bush and 9/11 and Iraq, so most of it wasn't as maddening as these other books. Plus, it was extremely informative and fascinating, coming from such an inside figure. Not the kind of stuff we read about every day. I highly recommend it.

--Peter

[Dirty Hippie]

3. I'm right with you.

Same story for me. Lately I've been sticking to fiction as well. I visit DU often, but have difficulty reading the long posts and articles.

[shoopnyc123]

4. If can afford it, I buy it...

even if I don't make it through. Sort of like a "tithe" to democracy.

[Ladyhawk]

5. I didn't make it through Brock's book.

I was too pissed off that I'd fallen for a lot of the neocon bullshit. When I got to the "Operation: Ignore" chapter in Franken's book, I had to take a break for about a week. Right now, I can barely read DU. I'm appalled, depressed, upset, angry, dejected...fill in the blank.

[VolcanoJen]

6. Carville's "Had Enough? A Handbook for Fighting Back" brought me...

... out of my political-book-burnout. The last book I read before his was Conason's "Big Lies," and it was so truthful and troubling that it turned into a really, really hard read.

I finally finished Carville's book a few days ago, and it's enlightening, positive, and provides a real blueprint for ridding the world of Bush and his kind. Read it soon, get the faith back, save up some strength for the summer, and Kick 'Em Out!

:D