Some Good Books

"Reason to Believe" by Mario Cuomo

If you want to be witness to a very active and functional liberal mind, it's Cuomo's writings you should explore. Cuomo lays out several well thought-out arguments against the 1990's republicans, and successfully argues, I think, for the need to strengthen the democratic party, in order to get back to the democratic principles that made this country great!
Cuomo has excellent speaking skills and this is reflected in his marvelous writing.

"There is a Spiritual Solution for Every Problem" by Dr. Wayne Dyer

Take what you need and throw the rest out. Say what you want about Dyer. He has some good insights. The spiritual side cannot be ignored, even though the scientists have a heck of a time trying to define it. I like the quotes from writers and philosophers he interjects into his talks. You may be a bit taken aback when he talks about the "vibrations" ... low vibrations represent spiritual atmosphere's we should try to avoid, sort along the lowest common denominator of Maslow's hierarchy, and higher vibrations are a pseudo-scientific way to grasp what the scientific definition of high level spirituality might be. Kind of hard to understand, but I know what he is grasping at, trying to define spirituality in a scientific way when there are simply not the words. (Sam Harris is now attempting some ground breaking scientific studies on spirituality) Dyer is one of a kind and his basic message is that the spiritual world should not be lost in such a materialistic, science based. Dyer is not afraid to talk about this stuff even though some may think he sounds very crazy, flightly if you will, in his attempts to articulate all these heady thoughts.

"Homegrown Democrat" by Garrison Keillor

This sums up much of what I feel about this book, which I listened to as an audio book in the car. "Worried and angry, he(GK) warns against the threat to our democracy as the heartland virtues and civil compact he grew up with, given color in stories from his life, give way to a walled, gated, class-separated state." Sure there is anger and emotion here, but it's done with a lot of class. I found "Homegrown Democrat" extremely refreshing. Garrison Keillor strikes me as very perceptive about the world around him and in touch with forces in the poltical world which are positive and which are especially pernicious. The argument could be made that he takes shots at the GOP, and that he could have been equally critical of his own party. He sees more hope growing out of a party supporting the people from the ground up than the party of corporate America. Looking at some of the reviews most critical of this book on Amazon.com , one would think that the spirit of Joseph McCarthy is still alive and well. A reoccurring theme is a call for Keillor to go back to Lake Wobegon where you belong, and go back to being that silly storyteller that tickled our ribs so consistently and so effectively. Unfortunately for those on the wrong side, this is Keillor's serious side and when it hits too close to home, those who are overly zealous about such issues as right to bear arms, the death penalty, abortion, flag burning, the war, etc. get rubbed the wrong way and they don't like it. It was funny that many of the most critical of Keillor said he was "mean spirited." It doesn't take much intelligence to figure out that where this guy is coming from is love, love of country, love of democracy, love of purity, love of innocence in the young artist, and so on. I believe one of the underlying messages is Keillor's angst over this country losing its innocence. I think he is very sad about this. To say he is not knowledgable about the world is way out in right field. Some have even called him a socialist. I think idealist is a lot closer to the truth. Also among the most severe critics are the "I earned my money and I can do what the hell I want to with it" crowd. They hate Keillor for wanting good services even if taxes are at a high level. At many points in the book, I believe that Keillor is exaggerating to make a point or using sarcasm. Those on the far right don't get this complex guy and would just assume this wombat is some loser intellectual who has lost touch with reality. One of the critics, Kevin Willis, is so harsh, maybe Ann Coulter used his name as an alias. If one takes a good look at the subject matter Keillor gently weaves in this masterpiece, one realizes he is more than an author. He is more like an artist painting his most unique and inspiring vision of what America can be. He has a lot to say, and no he is not a "political hack." Someone suggested that we read Al Franken to be far more enlightened about reality. Frankly, Al Franken is mental midget compared to Garrison Keillor. One gets the feeling that Garrison is a person who wears his heart on his sleeve, but feels so strongly about politics and some of the wrong directions this country is going in, he is compelled to speak out, and to call a spaid a spaid. Life is too short to beat around the bush, as I am learning as I approach age 49 years of age. I cannot understand this barrage of hate of Keillor from the far right. There is a lot of misunderstanding in this world, including the misunderstanding of this gentle genius from Minnesota.

p.s. Favorite Keillor quotes from the book: "In September, I was writing big throughts in my journal: 'Death is the price we pay at the most wonderful show there is. There are no free tickets. Being fully alive is the only true success; to not love is a form of destruction.' "George Bush is trying to give that country, where taxes are cut and services are stripped and the schools go to a four-day week and the local library depends on bake sales and user fees and police and fire are outsourced to a company that provides those services and soon 10-20 million Americans realize they are living in the rye at the edge of the cliff. This helps cut labor costs on the plantation. The field hands line up for work and Mr. George offers them 25 cents an hour and a cold potato for lunch."