Some books to help gain insight into elections & candidates
Sue Blechl, Special to The Gazette
Saturday, July 12, 2008
As we head into the final months of the race for the presidency, voters will be looking at ways to evaluate the candidates. One option is to do some reading. With books by the candidates and about them, there are many choices that can help us understand the political viewpoints and the private lives of the major election contenders.
Republican John McCain has written a number of books in the last few years. The most recent is “Hard Call: Great Decisions and the Extraordinary People Who Made Them” (2007). Included are Henry Ford’s decision to sacrifice his company’s competitive edge by reducing the work day and guaranteeing a minimum wage; and Branch Rickey’s decision to offer Jackie Robinson a contract to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the face of public opposition. Senator McCain has authored a number of books on courage, including “Character is Destiny: Inspiring Stories Every Young Person Should Know and Every Adult Should Remember” (2005) and “Why Courage Matters: The Way To a Braver Life” (2004). Certainly his traumatic prisoner-of-war experience gives these works much credibility.
“Faith of My Fathers” (1999) is a family memoir that has received much praise. McCain’s father and his grandfather were both admirals in the U.S. Navy, so their stories and McCain’s own survival of five years in a POW camp bring together a heritage of service to our country.
While not as prolific as McCain, Senator Barack Obama’s “The Audacity of Hope” (2006) and “Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance” (2004) do help us to understand this ground-breaking presidential contender. Charles Barkley has written “Who’s Afraid of a Large Black Man?” (2005). The book contains a number of essays on the culture of skin color and profiles of African-American men, including Obama.
“Hopes and Dreams: The Story of Barack Obama” (2007) by Steve Dougherty chronicles the candidate’s life as a bi-racial child, his education and career decisions, and finally his political life. Full of photos that illustrate Obama’s life, this is useful to get a sense of the Senator’s past and present.
Children interested in politics can learn more about the process of a presidential campaign and election in the book “If I Ran for President” (2007) by Catherine Stier. For grade school students, this is a basic book on what it takes to become President. Full of color illustrations and a light-hearted tone, children will get a good sense of the modern strategies required to run for the nation’s highest office.
All of the books mentioned above are available at the Emporia Public Library. Some can be listened to also, in an audiobook format. More resources include magazine articles and Internet Web sites. We hope that no voters refrain from casting their ballots for lack of information.